GH History Lessons: Because History is Always Repeating Itself

[WendyCR72]

I miss them. But they are better off offscreen in California and away from the suckitude!

[HeatLifer]

Eeeeeee. That clip. *fans self*

[UYI]

Interrupting all this Scrubs talk for some Robin & Stone because I can. :P

 

Edited and replaced with Brenda and Robin talking about Stone because their second sex scene included a TLC song, which has been muted. Blerg.

 

 

And Mac learns they had sex. And when Robin asks if she still looks like a little kid...honestly, yes. She still had something of a little kid face then.

 

  Edited February 11, 2016 by UYI

[Asp Burger]

I watched on YouTube some scenes from my dark period (...or, since I wasn't watching GH for a few years, my bright period), in which Michael hated Sonny and Carly. He called them "Sonny" and "Carly" and was really sarcastic and nasty to them. In one, he told Carly, "Don't worry, I don't plan on spending any more time in prison. Unlike you two." Chad Duell was just rocking this stuff. Then he told Sonny, "You've got no honor!" and Sonny stood there and took it like a whipped dog. It was a thing of beauty.  

 

Who was writing at this point? How long did the Michael contempt for S/C last?

[Ambrosefolly]

I don't find someone calling a spade a spade or being angry with cause being rude. So while I have see Michael do some negative things they were never without cause that is different than being flat unlikeable and even before this health issue Tracy comes across as cold and ugly. It is just an aspect of the Qs I find distasteful and makes me not root for them to win.

 

I don't hold what a character does as a child or rebellious teen against them. I feel of most people in PC(who get regular screen time) Micheal is one of the most decent and honorable so for Tracy to be so rude to him was a real turn off.

I think it was without cause with the time I mentioned. Michael knew perfectly well that Tracy didn't think highly of him and he had no new information to offer her, unlike when Ned told her that Luke had threatened him. They weren't discussing it at the time and I don't even think he had been interacting with Luke at the time. He just launched into his little speech he announced that he was switching sides. He was doing it to show his dominance, because he had (understandably) forsaken that dominance with his other family.

[cmahorror]

Remember when General Hospital had doctors who actually discussed treating patients? And actually had more than three scenes a week at the hospital?

 

 

 

[ulkis]

It's weird for me to see Scrubs at the old hub. 

[Lobsel Vith]

2) I forgot how ragey and stabby I got when Robert came back and they made it so he was a deadbeat dad who stayed away from Robin on purpose and let her think he was dead. Never. Going. To. Accept. That.

Didn't he play it like the WSB threatened Robin if Robert had revealed himself to be alive? Similar to Victor threatening Robin to work for him and to stay away from her family during this time.

[Ambrosefolly]

Remember when General Hospital had doctors who actually discussed treating patients? And actually had more than three scenes a week at the hospital?

And the show was actually pretty light on hospital scenes in those years.I remember reading that when House had Dr. House watch GH, they had to film surgery scenes because the show didn't have any unless they were mob related. Can't take any focus of Sason storylines. I think Night Shift helped shore this up, at Scrubs 1st wedding/Emma's birthday, when it was asked if there was a doctor in the church, half the congregation stood up.

 

But at least they had Scrubs. Now it is once a month Lucas, Liz when she isn't chasing after Jason, and new Doc. 

Edited February 12, 2016 by Ambrosefolly

[MissL]

Sorry Lobsil Vith I can't figure out how to quote on an IPad but to answer your question...they didn't make that clear in the scenes ive seen so far. he quickly mentioned having to sign some sort of agreement but he never made it sound like they threatened her. At this point I'm weeks in to his return so ..... Maybe he says that later as a retcon?

[cmahorror]

Robert said he did it to protect Anna and Robin. The WSB told him if he didn't cooperate they would kill Anna. They also showed him pictures of Robin and told him that she would be in danger too if he didn't cooperate - that they would kidnap Robin and use her as leverage to get him to do what they wanted.

 

Edited February 12, 2016 by cmahorror

[MissL]

Thank you! The clips I watched skipped some of that! It's been so long and all the clips after Robin was so angry!

[cmahorror]

Not a problem - let me know if you are looking for something and I will see if I can find it for you.

[Tiger]

And the show was actually pretty light on hospital scenes in those years.I remember reading that when House had Dr. House watch GH, they had to film surgery scenes because the show didn't have any unless they were mob related. Can't take any focus of Sason storylines. I think Night Shift helped shore this up, at Scrubs 1st wedding/Emma's birthday, when it was asked if there was a doctor in the church, half the congregation stood up.

But at least they had Scrubs. Now it is once a month Lucas, Liz when she isn't chasing after Jason, and new Doc.

I loved that House hid his own medical records under the alias "Luke N. Laura".

[katie9918]

Robert said he did it to protect Anna and Robin. The WSB told him if he didn't cooperate they would kill Anna. They also showed him pictures of Robin and told him that she would be in danger too if he didn't cooperate - that they would kidnap Robin and use her as leverage to get him to do what they wanted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_HZQUv1a9I&list=PL09230D5CBC53687F&index=32

And that's why I've yet to forgive Anna for literally kicking Robert in the teeth the first time they came face to face after Robert's return from the dead.

He gave up EVERYTHING to protect her and Robin (and likely Mac and HIS girls were being threatened as well) for something that he had nothing to do with.

[SlovakPrincess]

Although that whole story was so disjointed ... we have no idea what Anna was told, or by whom, about Robert not being dead before she confronted him during that dumb Markham Island story.   During Monkey!Virus, and even after Robert explained everything, Robin was angry and acted like she didn't believe Robert's story about where he'd been.   Mac punched him in the face and wouldn't give him the time of day to explain.   And Robert was defensive and OOC during the whole thing.  It was all bizarre

 

So if Anna was getting her info from Mac and Robin, all she was told was probably:  "he showed up with some crazy story during Monkey!Virus, Robin got mad and upset about what he told her, then he left town, and now he's acting like a goof on some island with Luke and Holly."   And part of it was probably that Anna was pissed Robert hadn't tried to reach out to her after everyone else knew he was alive.   Obnoxiously, Robert and Anna did not have an actual conversation about what had happened to him, at least onscreen.

 

It was all wrong.  And I completely hated that nobody (except, sort of, Luke) got to act happy Robert was alive.    The show has been so in love with "deadbeat" parent stories for so long that - even when Robert had a different explanation - it was written like a deadbeat parent story.  Possibly so Patrick and Robin could bond over having crappy, abandoning fathers ... even though that wasn't actually her situation!!

 

In her limited defense, after the face-kicking,  Anna calmed down and did say nice things about Robert to both him and Robin.     

 

ETA: the way they wrote Holly was even more ridiculous -- she came to town threatening to poison the water supply or something ... because she was mad Robert "played dead"  ... even though she had previously done the same thing to him?   It made no sense whatsoever.

Edited February 12, 2016 by SlovakPrincess

[cmahorror]

Holly held the antidote to the monkey virus for ransom, even after she found out that Robin was sick.

 

How about some happier Robert and Robin scenes? I always loved these - her first birthday after he returned.

 

 

Love the matching presents from Robert and Patrick.

 

Robin: Clowns scare me.

 

You and me both Robin.

Edited February 12, 2016 by cmahorror

[Ambrosefolly]

Holly held the antidote to the monkey virus for ransom, even after she found out that Robin was sick.

I watched that scene several times. Right after Robin fell ill the one dose used as a sample went straight to Robert, who went straight to Robin. She turned it down. I fanwank that Holly found out quickly Robin became sick and sent the sample to Robert so Robin would be okay.

[SlovakPrincess]

I think it was hinted that that might have been the case, that as insane as she was acting, Holly still wanted to help Robin even if she was threatening everyone else.

But then that might have been a dropped plot point ... that story was a mess. As was everything they've done to mangle the poor Holly character since 1992 ...

[Ambrosefolly]

Guza (or I should say, the supporting writers) were really good at writing day to day scenes, but they had their fair share of shitty storytelling. It got to the point that I wanted my favorites to be regulated to B or C storylines, so Guza could keep his grubby little mitts of them and not ruin the character. Georgie and Dillon were wonderfully sweet and heartfelt when One Good Writer was writing for them, then Guza figured out that Scott Clifton was a real find and basically made him serial cheater. 

[HeatLifer]

The way Robin says OMG when she realizes Robert bought her the same gift as Patrick cracks me up.

[Ambrosefolly]

I didn't like the SORAS'd Georgie, the Scott Clifton version of Dillon, or the combination. The way Georgie was written off was overkill (literally), but I never missed her. I didn't think the actress/character was strong enough to carry stories. And, oh God, that was also the dawn of Spinelli and his nicknames. Ugh. It was the beginning of a terrible time!

I think for someone playing a "good" character, it often leads to the impression the person can't anchor their own storylines, because their characters aren't shit stirring pieces of shit. I think with people like Lindze Letherman and Genie Francis, they are rarely given the credit for the success of their pairings. Lindze was very good at comedy, playing the straight woman to SC's Dillon. And she could generate romantic chemistry, which is something that Julie Maire Berman often had a difficult time doing. I thought JMB was near perfect casting for SORASed Lulu because Lulu, especially at that time, should be somewhat of a troublemaking cynic, but but never got why all of these guys would be chasing her and professing their undying love to her. JMB might have been a more conventionally pretty looking girl, but LL's Georige was very cute with pretty good body and George was the more empathetic, kinder, more honest individual. When it came to Dillon, her jealously could turn into somewhat of a bitch, but she was a teenager (played by a teenager). When Georige died and Dillon returned, I found it so believable that he would realize how  good he had it and how much he loved Georgie, I didn't even realize the show was trying to manipulate my emotions. 

[UYI]

Okay, HERE'S Robin & Stone's second love scene. The video quality isn't as good, but the songs are intact! 

 

Edited February 12, 2016 by UYI

[HeatLifer]

Babiessssss! Whhhhhhhy!?!! *ugly sob*

[Lobsel Vith]

I think for someone playing a "good" character, it often leads to the impression the person can't anchor their own storylines, because their characters aren't shit stirring pieces of shit. I think with people like Lindze Letherman and Genie Francis, they are rarely given the credit for the success of their pairings. Lindze was very good at comedy, playing the straight woman to SC's Dillon. And she could generate romantic chemistry, which is something that Julie Maire Berman often had a difficult time doing. I thought JMB was near perfect casting for SORASed Lulu because Lulu, especially at that time, should be somewhat of a troublemaking cynic, but but never got why all of these guys would be chasing her and professing their undying love to her. JMB might have been a more conventionally pretty looking girl, but LL's Georige was very cute with pretty good body and George was the more empathetic, kinder, more honest individual. When it came to Dillon, her jealously could turn into somewhat of a bitch, but she was a teenager (played by a teenager). When Georige died and Dillon returned, I found it so believable that he would realize how good he had it and how much he loved Georgie, I didn't even realize the show was trying to manipulate my emotions.

Frankly, Dillion treated women like crap. Georgie, Sage, Lulu. He really wasn't a good boyfriend, even though he came out of those situations unscathed simply because he was a guy and this was Guza's world. That said, I wholeheartedly agree about LL. What a damn waste. It's too bad the new writers (post-Guza) never her back.

[Ambrosefolly]

What happen with Dillon was the reason I didn't want Guza to be the writing for my favs. He was a lot like pre RC Dante in the beginning:sweet, quirky and basically stalked the object of his affection. Then Dillon got really good feed back (mostly from GQ), Tony Geary wanted to work with him and Guza started putting him in mob storylines and sleeping other girls. Truth be told, I felt more sorry for Sage, who aside from her Uncle, had no one and really didn't manipulate any situation than Lulu, who plotted to steal someone's boyfriend.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Ambrosefolly

[Pete Martell]

This has 4 parts. I'm just posting the first.

 

[Pete Martell]

[Tiger]

Frankly, Dillion treated women like crap. Georgie, Sage, Lulu. He really wasn't a good boyfriend, even though he came out of those situations unscathed simply because he was a guy and this was Guza's world. That said, I wholeheartedly agree about LL. What a damn waste. It's too bad the new writers (post-Guza) never her back.

I wonder if things would have turned out differently if Cliffton hadnt chosen to leave. Because in typical Guza/Phelps fashion, they seemed to only see Georgie as 'Dillon's love interest' instead of a character in her own right.

[Ambrosefolly]

Maxie is getting on my last nerve. She's soooo vain. Show is still putting her hair into those zebra braids that flaunt her roots in her blond hair. Nathan is so childish and pathetic around her; she can wrap him around her little finger. Maxie needs a stronger man than Nathan (whom I like for his goodness and vulnerability). Despite the havoc and upset she has caused over the years (for example, the whole surrogate story) Maxie seldom seems to doubt that she knows what is best for everybody. She turns up her nose at formal education and learning, counting (as Nathan pointed out) on her looks to get away with so much. Of course, others do that too, but Maxie's immature pride is particularly annoying. Her model posing was the last straw--she reminded me of a "slightly older" Jon Bennet Ramsey in her awkwardness and pretension that she has natural modeling ability and savvy.

 

Maxie, you don't.

I never heard Maxie talk disparaging about higher education and college isn't for everyone. She just recognized that someone like her sister Georgie thrived better in that kind of environment. Many fields that now require a college education actually don't need much of what you learn in higher education to do the job.Michelle Phan, who runs a successful Youtube and now has her own cosmetics company, was forced to drop out of art school and Tavi Gevinson, who has been running a successful online magazine since she was in high school (blog since she was 11) and has started an acting career decided to forgo college for the time being because she thought it was pretty stupid to spend money to count her magazine as credit to a degree, and she is extremely well read.   I went to a top university, had an absolutely miserable time and now barely make above minimum wage, so college isn't a magic ticket (and no I didn't party). Sorry to say, I think a lot of fashion work, even in running a magazine publication, is probably more trial and error than some wonderful education unlike medicine and engineering. And Maxie's looks never carried  with Kate Howard, who was quite strict, hardworking and yes Ivy league educated, who she learned from and worked for years as her assistant. That was probably more useful than sitting in some useless Women's Studies class, learning about nothing.    

 

This narrative about Maxie always coasting on her looks is completely new. She isn't Carly, who got her money and hotel more from marrying well than any particular innovative ideas or hard work. She pursued her position with Kate Howard, did a shit load of grunt work for her and did it for years. It isn't like Lulu, who seemed to have a line of good looking men, telling her how wonderful and perfect she is. She never got the guys she wanted with her looks. The most that it has done for her is that other fashion people, who if they are men are largely homosexual, are more readily to accept her, but she also had to have some good interpersonal skills as well to accomplish that, which were often on display talking to different vendors.   I have said it before, RC/FV and apparently the new writers, despite being women have no real handle on what Maxie is. Before the FV came on board, Maxie for all of her flakiness was usually more helpfully than hurtful. It was being involved with Spinelli that would nearly get her killed or force her to lie to cops (usually the police commissioner father).

I wonder if things would have turned out differently if Cliffton hadnt chosen to leave. Because in typical Guza/Phelps fashion, they seemed to only see Georgie as 'Dillon's love interest' instead of a character in her own right.

Maybe, Maybe not. Though I doubt they would have killed off her character. By that time, the show was pretty much up Lulu's ass, since JMB was a successful SORASing and Luke's daughter. We saw how they treated Felecia by that time. Edited February 13, 2016 by Ambrosefolly

[UYI]

 

Maxie's immature pride is particularly annoying. Her model posing was the last straw--she reminded me of a "slightly older" Jon Bennet Ramsey in her awkwardness and pretension that she has natural modeling ability and savvy.

 

Not to get too off topic, but JonBenet Ramsey was only six years old when she was murdered 20 years ago this Christmas (I'm only one year older than she would be today, so her murder left a BIG impression on me--it seemed every tabloid had her or her parents on the cover back then). I don't really think, at that age, you would have any way of knowing how to be intentionally pretentious. Whatever modeling/pageantry she did was strictly on her parents, not her.

 

And, to get back on topic, I really think Maxie, because of her parental abandonment and the loss of her cousin and her sister, has always felt "lesser than", even when she really shouldn't. I haven't watched in quite awhile, but she is very much an anti heroine in my eyes. 

 

But then, I like Maxie overall. *shrug* 

[Lobsel Vith]

I wonder if things would have turned out differently if Cliffton hadnt chosen to leave. Because in typical Guza/Phelps fashion, they seemed to only see Georgie as 'Dillon's love interest' instead of a character in her own right.

Yeah, TIIC didn't seem to do much with her when she wasn't Dillion's girlfriend, which is a shame. I suppose they might have gone through with the storyline with her professor if the actor didn't leave the show (and Diego/Georgie was only done to put Lulu and Dillion together), or put her with Spinelli (which seemed to be the direction they were headed in before deciding to waste her on the TMK storyline).

[Oracle42]

I don't think RC ever cared about who Maxie was as a character or thought of her as anything except a way to tie his new character into the cast - same with Carly and Sam. They got dragged out of their own stories/lives because RC was determined to have his new characters in front burner stories without bothering to establish them on their own

[peachmangosteen]

... put her with Spinelli ...

 

She's better off dead.

[Pete Martell]

Watching this 1986 episode and I had no idea Jimmy Lee, Brian and Rick were still around at this time, although I think it's near the end for all of them. And I have no idea why they named a character "Marco Dean." Maybe someone was having a wink at OLTL...

 

Ginny is annoying. 

 

David Lewis really was exceptional as Edward.

 

"Diva Von Dish" said at the time that Jake was one of the worst dressed men in soaps...and I can see why.

 

This clip has at about 8 or 9 minutes in Tony and Tania telling Bobbie the name of their newborn daughter. It hurts my heart :(

 

Edited February 13, 2016 by Pete Martell

[Oracle42]

Why wasn't Nik's illegitimacy an issue when he was declared the Cassadine heir?

[ulkis]

Why wasn't Nik's illegitimacy an issue when he was declared the Cassadine heir?

In the eyes of the Cassadines, Laura's marriage to Stavros was legal.

[KerleyQ]

And, to get back on topic, I really think Maxie, because of her parental abandonment and the loss of her cousin and her sister, has always felt "lesser than", even when she really shouldn't. I haven't watched in quite awhile, but she is very much an anti heroine in my eyes. 

 

But then, I like Maxie overall. *shrug* 

 

I think that's part of why that obnoxious shit, Spinelli, was always able to emotionally manipulate her. 

[Francie]

Watching this 1986 episode and I had no idea Jimmy Lee, Brian and Rick were still around at this time, although I think it's near the end for all of them. And I have no idea why they named a character "Marco Dean." Maybe someone was having a wink at OLTL...

Ginny is annoying.

David Lewis really was exceptional as Edward.

"Diva Von Dish" said at the time that Jake was one of the worst dressed men in soaps...and I can see why.

This clip has at about 8 or 9 minutes in Tony and Tania telling Bobbie the name of their newborn daughter. It hurts my heart :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuz3Okbdk_4

The EP who replaced Gloria Monty in January 1987 said he was shocked at the number of people on contract.

David Lewis was flawless and phenomenal. I couldn't accept John Ingle as Edward Quartermaine for about a decade.

[cmahorror]

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 

I always loved jealous Patrick.

[Tiger]

My favorite GH Valentine's Day moment was during the 2004 Hotel Fire when Sonny told Carly he had never loved and hated anyone as much as he loved and hated her. It was especially sweet because he had just had sex with Sam.

#FallinInLoveWithTheCorintii

[Pete Martell]

[fishcakes]

David Lewis was flawless and phenomenal. I couldn't accept John Ingle as Edward Quartermaine for about a decade.

 

Me too. I couldn't accept John Ingle as Edward until he came back after being replaced by Jed Allen, who was the same age as Stuart Damon.

[ulkis]

I can't really say I give a fuck about legacy characters either. YR started off with the Brooks and Foster families. Now all that's left is Jill, and she wasn't a Foster by birth anyway. Guiding Light, the true Granddaddy of modern soaps, had some Bauers left at the end of their run but the Rutledge and Holden families had disappeared. ATWT did a better job of keeping Hughes's on board, but by the end there weren't nearly as many of them left on canvas. I got over never seeing the Brooks sisters again or Snapper or Greg, so if Bill Bell could dissolve his own core families that he created, I don't care about any other show's legacies. Just give me good stories with interesting characters played by people who can actually act. I couldn't care less if they're a founding member.

 

And honestly, when you talk to newer viewers, most don't give a fuck either because we don't know who the hell Steve Hardy is. I know he was the moral center of GH but I have no idea if I would've actually liked the character. So I don't care about someone or a family for which I have no frame of reference. Why would any newer viewer?

 

I started watching after Steve Hardy died and I was interested in a lot of the history of the show because I read up on some of the history, watched some videos.  That's not going to be the case for everyone obviously but I think with a 50 year old show people are going to look up some past stuff.

 

I don't necessarily think that legacy characters deserve more focus than a person with no historical connection though, especially when they have proved to have not really caught on (Steven Lars Webber, for example).

 

I also don't think it's a big deal when some families fade away and some new families are brought in, if it's done in a non-forced away. (Killing off all the Qs: forced. If Lulu left tomorrow, and there were no more Spencers, I don't think that would be forced, because all the actors left on their own.)

[tvgoddess]

I did enjoy seeing some of the marathon that aired on SoapNet (RIP) for the 50th anniversary. It's interesting to see how things have evolved and changed. But I've honestly never been compelled to go look back at GH's origins or glory days except for just a couple of storylines like BJ's death and stuff like that. 

[Asp Burger]

Good Lord, Jacob Young was so terrible on this show. But Sarah Brown is the only one of the Carlys who could make her part of this scene bearable. She's really good in her last line to Liz (which was, by the way, the SB Carly's last to Liz).  

 

[Harmony233]

I always enjoy researching the history of shows.Maybe it's because we're stuck with the corthinthos and jeromes as legacy families. I also miss moral characters like Steve hardy and lee Baldwin.we don't even have any older couples like Audrey and Steve or lee and Gail.monica and Alan could have been that but they were too consumed with killing off quartermaines.

[Asp Burger]

There is a funny mistake in Stephen Martines's IMDb. A bunch of individual episodes (but surely not all of them) are listed for the years he was on the show, and in all of them except one, he's credited correctly as Nikolas Cassadine. For a single episode in 2003, he's credited as Marcus Taggert. For that same episode, both Brittney Powell and Andrea C. Pearson (the second Gia Campbell) are credited with playing Summer Holloway.  

 

The black people are so marginalized on General Hospital that even IMDb doesn't know who they are! 

Edited February 22, 2016 by Asp Burger

[Jazzy24]

I have a question if someone can answer it for me.

But does the other Cassadines have the Prince and Princess titles? For example does Alexis and all her daughters have the right to use "Princess" in their names even tho they don't use it on the show? And if they do would Danny be a "Prince"?

[Oracle42]

Alexis is illegitimate. I'm pretty sure she and her children (and their children) aren't entitled to any part of the Cassadine legacy that would be hereditary

Edited February 22, 2016 by Oracle42