GH History Lessons: Because History is Always Repeating Itself

[ulkis]

Sabrina's fantasies were pretty agonizing. Didn't she have one with Patrick in a suit her very first episode?

[WendyCR72]

Sabrina's fantasies were pretty agonizing. Didn't she have one with Patrick in a suit her very first episode?

 

Yeah, and it was so WTF painful. So very painful.

[HeatLifer]

Sabrina's fantasies were pretty agonizing. Didn't she have one with Patrick in a suit her very first episode?

The fantasies, the reality, it was all bad. ALLOFIT. ALL.OF.IT. That fucking grape costume takes the cake. Hakakskkaksskskz.

[magnolia11]

Sabrina's fantasies were pretty agonizing. Didn't she have one with Patrick in a suit her very first episode?

 

Yes.

 

Both she and Britt turned up together for the first time on the very same day -- I remember that they were on at the very beginning of the episode and I was like, "Who the ever-loving fuck are these people mooning/sniping at each other over Patrick?"

[jsbt]

That was so fucking awful and amateurish. I couldn't believe they did that with both of them on Day 1 out of nowhere, when both characters were total strangers. It was like nothing RC at his worst had ever done before and it was a very bad omen. Plus, it was just coming off months of mourning addict Patrick and all of a sudden we were expected to objectify the struggling widower/single dad as Archie Andrews at Riverdale High.

The only other moment of Ron's GH that had me doing that was the kiddie quad, in an episode where they were like, "but do you LIKE like me Emma?"

 

Was that the episode where the three or four kids sat around by themselves having these long agonizing scenes? At one point Cam is like "I want you, Emma!" Verbatim dialogue. He was nine! I couldn't believe it.

 

And yeah, MB tanked Angel and IMO he was right to - that character/story and everything JFP/McTavish were doing to GH was wildly off-brand (not unlike a lot of the last year-plus). But it did set a very bad precedent.

Edited February 4, 2016 by jsbt

[dubbel zout]

Ron was so enamored with the kiddie quad, when it was just gross. If the kids had been five years younger or five years older, it might have worked. But 9 years old is square in the wrong spot.

[HeatLifer]

Plus, it was just coming off months of mourning addict Patrick and all of a sudden we were expected to objectify the struggling widower/single dad as Archie Andrews at Riverdale High.

And add on every character including dayplayers and inanimate objects urging him to "MOVE ON ALREADY!!!!!" It happened every time he was involved with another woman. This show coddled Patrick like no other.

[Ambrosefolly]

That was so fucking awful and amateurish. I couldn't believe they did that with both of them on Day 1 out of nowhere, when both characters were total strangers. It was like nothing RC at his worst had ever done before and it was a very bad omen. Plus, it was just coming off months of mourning addict Patrick and all of a sudden we were expected to objectify the struggling widower/single dad as Archie Andrews at Riverdale High.

 

Was that the episode where the three or four kids sat around by themselves having these long agonizing scenes? At one point Cam is like "I want you, Emma!" Verbatim dialogue. He was nine! I couldn't believe it.

 

And yeah, MB tanked Angel and IMO he was right to - that character/story and everything JFP/McTavish were doing to GH was wildly off-brand (not unlike a lot of the last year-plus). But it did set a very bad precedent.

I disagree. I had more respect for Sarah Brown when she outright quit because she felt the storyline wasn't in character for Carly than what MB ended up pulling. Lord knows I had my problems with JFP, Guza, Wolf and RC, and cheered when all got canned (though JFP & Guza firing took too long and for the wrong reasons) but no matter what, the actors are paid to do a job and I can't tolerate when they don't at least try to commit to whatever shitty storyline that is foisted on them. I understand why Jason Thompson and Dominic Zamprogna slept walked through their scenes but don't respect it and don't think it should be rewarded with Emmy prenoms. I actually have no problem when I hear actors trying to stop storylines or certain scenes, because they are the face of the character and get nearly 100% of the praise or vitriol, but when it doesn't work, it doesn't work and you have to act like a professional and do your damn job even if you are right . It is always why am surprised to hear how much Anthony Geary hated Labine's work, because he played it all so well. 

[ulkis]

Was that the episode where the three or four kids sat around by themselves having these long agonizing scenes? At one point Cam is like "I want you, Emma!" Verbatim dialogue. He was nine! I couldn't believe it.

 

Yup, when they were at Kelly's. He was all, "why didn't you tell me Josslyn!" I think one of them used the word "betrayed".

 

And yeah, MB tanked Angel and IMO he was right to - that character/story and everything JFP/McTavish were doing to GH was wildly off-brand (not unlike a lot of the last year-plus). But it did set a very bad precedent.

 

I don't know if he was right to but I definitely don't blame him. imo the story was doomed even if he gave it his all.

 

I disagree. I had more respect for Sarah Brown when she outright quit because she felt the storyline wasn't in character for Carly than what MB ended up pulling.

 

I don't think MB was in a position to outright quit. Sarah on the other hand was at the end of her contract.

[dubbel zout]

I think one of them used the word "betrayed".

 

I'm pretty sure that was our resident lisping drama queen, Spencer.

 

NLG suffered through the Dobson story, which has to be in the top five of all time bad stories. Though I have some sympathy for Mo, because Angel was a terrible story.

[ulkis]

Nothing to me was more embarrassing than the way they had Emma behave in the Sabrina/Britt/Felix era, along with the kiddie quad of Spencer/Cam/Joss/Emma. That was some face palm BS.

 

Stavros' whole return last year probably ranks up among most embarrassing moments of Ron's tenure as well, except I watched two seconds and then dove for the off button, so I didn't have time to look around, wondering if anyone would spot me watching this.

Edited February 4, 2016 by ulkis

[HeatLifer]

Stavros' whole return last year probably ranks up among most embarrassing moments of Ron's tenure as well, except I watched two seconds and then dove for the off button, so I didn't have time to look around, wondering if anyone would spot me watching this.

Ron was so desperate to recreate the '80s cheese.

[jsbt]

Even with Stavros in the picture Crichton-Clark was at least entertaining while terrible, but it was painfully clear they were struggling to recreate the fever moment of fall 2012's virus caper (probably the best thing in RC's tenure) with a big quasi-sweeps action stunt over and over on a fraction of the money. "We've got a bunch of corridors and exam rooms, we've got this strobelight, let's work it!" There was nothing much to look at, it was like a rat maze. Still looked better than JFP's Endgame labyrinth though, to be honest.

 

The worst part of that debacle IMO was when Lulu, Dante, Nathan(?), etc. all joined Anna in shooting up the doors with guns. Yeah, you're all real badasses! Please. You have to earn that kind of macho moment for certain characters but instead it was just goofballs.

Edited February 5, 2016 by jsbt

[ulkis]

 

Why the hell did Sonny have a cane?

[Oracle42]

Wasn't t the lead up to Crichton Clark that clusterfuck with Maxie and Australian ponytail guy whose father was from GH history! and Lulu grossly making out with Milo? Everything about that story was garbage - it's just that the finale managed to be even worse than every terrible thing that led up to it

[ulkis]

Wasn't t the lead up to Crichton Clark that clusterfuck with Maxie and Australian ponytail guy whose father was from GH history! and Lulu grossly making out with Milo? Everything about that story was garbage - it's just that the finale managed to be even worse than every terrible thing that led up to it

Lulu making out with Milo was a year before that, but you're right about Maxie and Spinelli-lite.

[UYI]

I love how quickly Levi vanished from everyone's collective memory bank here.

[TeeVee329]

Wasn't t the lead up to Crichton Clark that clusterfuck with Maxie and Australian ponytail guy whose father was from GH history! and Lulu grossly making out with Milo? Everything about that story was garbage - it's just that the finale managed to be even worse than every terrible thing that led up to it

 

Oh, I think the lead-up with Levi was definitely worse than the finale at Crichton-Clark.  Especially because they dropped in his really targeting Lulu at the very last minute.  And tying him to some distant, DISTANT foe of Frisco and Felicia's didn't retroactively make anything we saw through any less awful.

 

I'd compare it to the ridiculous "Hold the Diploma" story on OLTL.  Sure, Nate being publically humiliated when the porn screened at David's movie premiere was delicious.  But everything leading up to it with him and Why Is Deanna and Rick Powers was just the worst.

Edited February 5, 2016 by TeeVee329

[SlovakPrincess]

At least Levi died and stayed dead ...

[ulkis]

You just jinxed it. Thanks, SlovakPrincess!

[dubbel zout]

I love how quickly Levi vanished from everyone's collective memory bank here.

Did anyone like him? And then Ron ties him to Peter Whatsis, and we're supposed to be dazzled by History! 

[Asp Burger]

And yeah, MB tanked Angel and IMO he was right to

 

He definitely seemed asleep in the Angel story, but that was more like a story aborted. Sonny and Angel never even did anything, to the best of my knowledge. They certainly never made it to bed.

 

Sonny and Hannah went on for a pretty long damn time, almost all of 1999, and there was a lot of stuff out there about him and Burton ridiculing the actress as "Two-Take Lisa." So I still think Lisa Vultaggio was the nameless actress he meant when he said he had a memory of one time when he was paired with an actress and he tried to make it work and she wasn't giving him enough, and it went on for nine months (or whatever length of time he gave -- again, Boris aired for four, and probably was on the set shooting for considerably less than that), and he started resisting it. 

 

But the moral of the story, really, is that Maurice Benard is the biggest high-maintenance divo on GH besides Tony Geary. Not really news. 

 

Re: Sonny strapping a bomb to himself and blowing up the penthouse. That aired the summer before 9/11. Then when the show acknowledged 9/11 with a candlelight memorial in Port Charles, of course they had Sonny front and center.

[tallyrand]

I have a Robert and Anna question! I remember I was watching some fanvid and in the video there was a scene of Robert and Anna where she was going to kick him and he grabbed her leg.  They were possibly in a hotel room? I couldn't tell.  Does anyone know what scene that is and if it's on youtube? I always wanted to hear the dialogue.  Thanks!!!

Edited February 5, 2016 by tallyrand

[jsbt]

I had heard it was Maurice, Burton and Sarah Brown who made sport of her, back when they all still got along. Sonny and Hannah was a lame pairing that Wendy Riche forced upon the writers and audience but I always thought Vultaggio was at least a half-decent actress. Sonny and Carly Mark I was vastly superior when Guza and the actors finally got their way, but still there's no call for that behavior.

 

Angel Boris, OTOH, I say nothing's off-limits.

Edited February 5, 2016 by jsbt

[Francie]

I have a Robert and Anna question! I remember I was watching some fanvid and in the video there was a scene of Robert and Anna where she was going to kick him and he grabbed her leg.  They were possibly in a hotel room? I couldn't tell.  Does anyone know what scene that is and if it's on youtube? I always wanted to hear the dialogue.  Thanks!!!

Seek and ye shall find:

 

https://youtu.be/Vm8wVC_qg6s

 

This is from February, 1991, the morning after Anna had tied Robert up on Valentine's Day. He had insulted her previously about being all frumpy and letting herself go. So, her payback was to dress to the nines, work him up to a lather, and leave him stranded.

 

The following morning, once Robert managed to get untied (Anna sent Frisco and the scene where she asks him to go untie Robert is hilarious), he heads over to Anna's house for a bit of payback. And voila!

[tallyrand]

Thank you so much Francie! That is exactly it.  You are amazing. 

[Lobsel Vith]

I had heard it was Maurice, Burton and Sarah Brown who made sport of her, back when they all still got along. Sonny and Hannah was a lame pairing that Wendy Riche forced upon the writers and audience but I always thought Vultaggio was at least a half-decent actress. Sonny and Carly Mark I was vastly superior when Guza and the actors finally got their way, but still there's no call for that behavior.

Angel Boris, OTOH, I say nothing's off-limits.

Considering the rumors about the "leather jacket" incident when TK came on years after, it seems like a certain attitude wasn't discouraged by TIIC.

[Francie]

Thank you so much Francie! That is exactly it.  You are amazing. 

Ha, thanks!

 

Just an avid RNA fan.  That's one of my top 10 all-time favorite GH scenes. I remembering watching that moment live and I think my jaw dropped. That was the moment when I realized that it wasn't just a tease, they were really going to do it! They were really going to but them back together!! 

[tallyrand]

Ha, thanks!

 

Just an avid RNA fan.  That's one of my top 10 all-time favorite GH scenes. I remembering watching that moment live and I think my jaw dropped. That was the moment when I realized that it wasn't just a tease, they were really going to do it! They were really going to but them back together!! 

 

I'm still at work, but I can't wait to watch when I get home!  It must have been so nice to be able to have a couple to root for on this show.  

[Asp Burger]

I always thought Vultaggio was at least a half-decent actress

 

There have been worse (like that incredibly bad Maxie recast -- the busty one who always said "exspecially"), but in my opinion, half-decent is too generous. LV was pretty, but very dead-eyed and wooden in her expressions and line readings. She did improve a little over time, and she and Hannah did not bother me so much when she was interacting with Taggert and AJ toward the end of her run. 

 

I think one of the other problems with Hannah was the Poochie Syndrome. It was so obvious that she was earmarked to be a new audience favorite. She was on constantly from the start; she was interacting with all of the central characters; Bobbie seemed to like her more than her own daughter (okay, admittedly...); Lisa's face was plastered on billboard advertisements. Too much too soon. You need a great performer if you're going to make that work. But various EPs have made the same mistake again and again. It didn't even work with Melissa Bedford a couple years later, and in that case, Jensen Buchanan was a great performer and acted the hell out of it to no avail.  

 

The audience likes it more when they feel they make someone successful. Chad Brannon was wonderful with Amber Tamblyn at the beginning of his run, and I think the response to him had something to do with Zander becoming as important as he was for a while. But I never had the sense that the show had a sweaty determination to "make Chad Brannon happen." 

Edited February 6, 2016 by Asp Burger

[peachmangosteen]

Did anyone like him? 

 

NGL, and I'm ashamed to admit this, but I didn't really hate Levi and even sorta kinda enjoyed him at times. I wasn't watching through that whole story though. I think I checked out for a good majority of it actually.

Edited February 5, 2016 by peachmangosteen

[WendyCR72]

The audience likes it more when they feel they make someone successful. Chad Brannon was wonderful with Amber Tamblyn at the beginning of his run, and I think the response to him had something to do with Zander becoming as important as he was for a while. But I never had the sense that the show had a sweaty determination to "make Chad Brannon happen."

 

Yeah, as far as I can recall, once Emily was rescued, Zander was supposed to go to prison, and the end. I think that was one of the last times things were handled well with regard to unexpected chemistry. The show mined it and altered course instead of shunning it. (I believe Zander #1, Marc Brett, worked better if the show was just going for creepy sleazy criminal, so I don't know if the actor left voluntarily or if the show wanted someone younger looking opposite AT, but it worked.)

 

To think Chad Brannon actually got an Emmy for what was supposed to be a temporary role. Between Zander/Emily and Zander/Alexis, I really did love the character. Glad CB had enough goodwill to come back as Doppelganger Aaron on that plane to run off with NL's Rebecca. Nice little Faux-Zem nod there.

[HeatLifer]

I was such a fan of Chad. He had great chem with TB, too.

[peachmangosteen]

Oh man, I miss Zander. One of the things I remember most about past GH is when he was dancing with Maxie in her bedroom (I think). I shipped him with so many people lol.

Edited February 6, 2016 by peachmangosteen

[Asp Burger]

I loved early Zander. I hated him by the end, even though I knew it was Guza/Pratt's fault. They just set about annihilating him from the moment Steve Burton/Jason returned. Zander was one of the very few characters to flourish in the McTavish/JFP period (his collusion with Sonny in the meathook plot aside). 

 

One of the things I remember most about past GH is when he was dancing with Maxie in her bedroom (I think).

 

I hope it wasn't the horrible Maxie. I know he was saddled with her (between Robyn Richards Part One and Robyn Richards Part Two) for part of the time.

[WendyCR72]

I hope it wasn't the horrible Maxie. I know he was saddled with her (between Robyn Richards Part One and Robyn Richards Part Two) for part of the time.

 

Robyn Richards was playing Maxie at the time of that dance. Not sure if it was before the awful Danica Stewart (and I hate I recall her name!) replaced her or when Robyn re-assumed the role (before being again fired for KSt).

[peachmangosteen]

It was Robyn Richards' Maxie. I loved her though. I prefer her to KS' Maxie tbh.

Edited February 6, 2016 by peachmangosteen

[WendyCR72]

And while Zander was destroyed for Jason, IMO, he also had the double whammy of being destroyed for Nik/Nem. He was doomed. One of the reasons I despised Nik/Emily and was glad it ended once Emily croaked.

[Tiger]

Quote feature isn't working . . .

1) I thought Chad had chemistry with everyone, even NL. I still don't know why they didn't do Nem for real with them, or do Zaxie with he and RR.

2) Hadn't Angel Boris done porn before coming to GH?

[Ambrosefolly]

This show has zero sense of personal responsibility. Sad to say, it isn't new.

 

Sonny? Well, I'd be here for years listing his shit.

 

Zander married Emily upon her comeback (via NL), after Emily did not want to burden Zander with her cancer. Now, Zander was never a choirboy, but he did love Emily with everything he had. So Emily proceeds to fall for Nikolas and his curing snot, and rather than make those two take some of the blame, Zander had a fleet of buses back over him to sanctify Nem by making Zander the villain...and the show even took away his fabulous relationship with Alexis, so Nik could have another asslicker. Zander's ultimate fate, after getting assholified and left for dead by Liz? Suicide by cop.  Did Nik and Emily ever get karma for them fucking in the home Zander bought for him and Emily? <Crickets>

 

GH you let Casey out of the basement. Nice. "Am I enough to cheer you up?" Because you clearly don't love me as much as Jake because I don't come from Jasus is basically what he was asking. Poor thing. Teenage Cam with issues regarding his mother and part time fathers would be good story so this show wont do that. I can't believe that haven't at least made him a teen considering he was born BEFORE Molly, Spencer and Joss yet he's in the same age bracket as the latter two.

The Truth about what happened to Zander is the story I have been waiting for for over a decade. I was incredibly shocked, I mean SHOCKED how Guza could have Courtney and Jason just let Zander just take let him the fall and there was absolutely no reveal about a basically uncoordinated conspiracy to let Zander basically die for Journey. To rub some more salt in the wounds, not only did it leave Maxie (at the time played by Robyn Richards) thinking that she was protecting someone that did in fact shot a cop, not to mention set a hotel on fire, fucking Courtney got $10 million for helping a rich old woman and not helping her dog out of the building that she indirectly help set on fire. I wouldn't be surprised if that old bat was the mother of the dumbass governor that pardon Sonny for murder for not saving his useless daughter.

 

I think it would be a great storyline for SORASed!Cam if he started getting curious about his own paternal family to finally expose Carly, Jason and Courtney for the assholes they were. Maybe Jakeson could be horrified at Jason Morgan's behavior and Cam can call out Carly for being a shitty friend to Zander (Zander attempted to teach Carly to drive during the Jason absence) when she told Courtney to keep quiet about her role in shooting the cop. And I would love an explosive fight between him and Liz about how she would do anything for Jason, but treated his own bio dad so poorly even though the argument could be made that Jason is a far worse person than Zander and how she chased away any sort of father for him and his brothers, forcing Cam to take up the slack.

 

People I have dreams about this, serious dreams!

Edited February 6, 2016 by Ambrosefolly

[WendyCR72]

1) I thought Chad had chemistry with everyone, even NL. I still don't know why they didn't do Nem for real with them, or do Zaxie with he and RR.

 

Do you mean Zem (the Zander/Emily ship name)? We'll never know, but I do think some politics did come into play there since TC/NL became a real life item. While I don't think CB/NL had as much of the awesome chemistry CB/AT had, I think if it had any investment from anyone in power that cared, it could have worked.

 

But we'll never know.

 

ETA: Ambrosefolly I'd watch the hell out of that! But it would require Carly/Sonny, etc. having to face some consequences, and we know how that goes - or doesn't.

[UYI]

Did anyone like him? And then Ron ties him to Peter Whatsis, and we're supposed to be dazzled by History! 

 

As far as I know, no one liked him. And his dad was Peter Harrell. Is there any video of him from 1984? Isn't he from the Aztec Treasure story with F&F?

Seek and ye shall find:

 

https://youtu.be/Vm8wVC_qg6s

 

This is from February, 1991, the morning after Anna had tied Robert up on Valentine's Day. He had insulted her previously about being all frumpy and letting herself go. So, her payback was to dress to the nines, work him up to a lather, and leave him stranded.

 

The following morning, once Robert managed to get untied (Anna sent Frisco and the scene where she asks him to go untie Robert is hilarious), he heads over to Anna's house for a bit of payback. And voila!

 

With that haircut, the shirtlessness, and the black pants, Robert looks like Patrick Swayze in the famous Chippendales sketch on SNL with Chris Farley.

[Francie]

As far as I know, no one liked him. And his dad was Peter Harrell. Is there any video of him from 1984? Isn't he from the Aztec Treasure story with F&F?

 

With that haircut, the shirtlessness, and the black pants, Robert looks like Patrick Swayze in the famous Chippendales sketch on SNL with Chris Farley.

It was the early 1990s!!! We still had a year or two to go before grunge came in and saved us from mullets and hammer pants.

 

Seriously, though, good call! That episode of SNL and this scene were filmed within 6 months of each other (Oct. 1990 and Jan/Feb. 1991).

[Asp Burger]

Hadn't Angel Boris done porn before coming to GH?

 

She had posed in Playboy in 1996 and also made "videos" for them (per their site). I don't think she had done anything especially hardcore, but there's porn and then there's porn, and people might have different perceptions. 

 

She was also on 90210 (the original one). 

[dubbel zout]

KeMo posed for Playboy. At least it has decent articles.

[LeftPhalange]

KeMo posed for Playboy. At least it has decent articles.

 

Is "articles" code for titties?

[SlovakPrincess]

This is from February, 1991, the morning after Anna had tied Robert up on Valentine's Day. He had insulted her previously about being all frumpy and letting herself go. So, her payback was to dress to the nines, work him up to a lather, and leave him stranded.

The following morning, once Robert managed to get untied (Anna sent Frisco and the scene where she asks him to go untie Robert is hilarious), he heads over to Anna's house for a bit of payback. And voila!

One of the funniest things about that whole sequence was that - after he was untied and had a chance to collect himself - he wasn't even that angry about it. He was mostly amused that she still cared that much about what he thought of her to get so offended in the first place ... and he was, well, kinda turned on by the whole thing.

And the fact that Anna woke up hungover the morning after Valentines Day, remembered what she'd done ... and tried to call him. And then was like "oh, yeah, he can't get to the phone."

I was in junior high at the time, and me and all my little friends both (a) could not stop talking about it, and (b) were trying to hide from our parents that that's what we were all watching after school. LOL.

[Tiger]

She had posed in Playboy in 1996 and also made "videos" for them (per their site). I don't think she had done anything especially hardcore, but there's porn and then there's porn, and people might have different perceptions.

She was also on 90210 (the original one).

I at least don't consider THAT to be porn.

But someone that was on the show sometime since 1992 had a porn past.

And for the record, I'm not judging. I judge the hell out of Rico Preston Wells for THOSE videos, but I don't judge someone who has done pornography.

[UYI]

Kari Wuhrer (Reese) and Lesli Kay (Lois 2.0) both did some soft core, Skinimax type flicks in the 90's.

 

And I read somewhere that Jackie Zeman was actually the youngest woman to ever pose for Playboy ever (before GH, obviously). 

 

And Becky's only outside acting role since being on GH? Barbi Benton, a very popular Playboy model in the 60's-70's, and Hugh Hefner's long time girlfriend, in a TV movie about the latter (this was about a year or two into her run as Liz). Sweet little Becky Herbst as a Playboy model! Who would've thought?

Edited February 6, 2016 by UYI

[UYI]

Is "articles" code for titties?

 

As of their most current issue, not anymore. Playboy published their last breast-laden/full frontal issue about a month or two ago (appropriately enough, Pamela Anderson was the cover model).

 

Kelly actually became famous initially because of Playboy. She sent them pictures of herself from her hometown in PA, and that was it.