GH History Lessons: Because History is Always Repeating Itself

[Ambrosefolly]

5 hours ago, Asp Burger said:

This is an example of why Sarah Brown is unsurpassed as Carly, in my opinion. Now, that is the point of view of someone who never loved the character, so take it for what it's worth. But when people later would claim that the Tamara Braun version brought "vulnerability" to Carly that Sarah Brown did not, I was very surprised. Brown is all vulnerability here. The Braun version was just an out-and-out bitch. If she had been playing the scene below (and she did, with various women who were getting close to Jason or Sonny), everything Carly said would have seemed to have face value. With Brown, you can see how terrified Carly is that her hold on Jason is slipping and that this other chick is going to be Robin Redux. She's like a bluffing cobra.  

Admittedly, Braun and Wright have played a Carly whose status has risen in the Port Charles world, so some of their smugness is the writing too. Unfortunately, Liz's line at the end here, "I realize you think you're this force of nature and everybody should just get out of your way and let you take whatever you want" was prophetic for how the character started being written and acted. Nowadays she's even trying to take away some other woman's baby.  

The thing with both of these women is that Carly has Borderline Personality Disorder and I believe Liz has some form of PTSD from the rape that had left untreated, so both of these women cling to that moral snob that is Jason to receive some sort of validation.

[TessHarding2]

Sarah Braun will always be Carly to me.  The young woman who blew into PC and tore it up.  I've never paid attention to Laura Wright, I couldn't bear her style of histrionics and spitting all over the place.  She had a mature look to her compared to the ingenue look of the Sarah Braun.  What looked ridiculous was when Robin and Laura Carly would fight in public over, I guess over Jason. and Laura Carly looked like Robin's mother - not rival.  I must be 7 or 8 years older than Laura Wright so when she'd call Bobbie "Mom", I'd cringe then laugh.  

And if you haven't had a good laugh lately, watch Jed Allen as Edward Q (a temp), when Tracey calls Jed Allen "Daddy" and Alan Q is two years younger than him.

Edited June 11, 2016 by TessHarding2

[Francie]

 I must 7 or 8 years older than Laura Wright so when she'd call Bobbie "Mom", I'd cringe then laugh.

It's not quite Cathy Moriarty and Sally Field. But it's a damn sight too close.

[UYI]

26 minutes ago, TessHarding2 said:

Sarah Braun will always be Carly to me.  The young woman who blew into PC and tore it up.  I've never paid attention to Laura Wright, I couldn't bear her style of histrionics and spitting all over the place.  She had a mature look to her compared to the ingenue look of the Sarah Braun.  What looked ridiculous was when Robin and Laura Carly would fight in public over, I guess over Jason. and Laura Carly looked like Robin's mother - not rival.  I must 7 or 8 years older than Laura Wright so when she'd call Bobbie "Mom", I'd cringe then laugh.  

And if you haven't had a good laugh lately, watch Jed Allen as Edward Q (a temp), when Tracey calls Jed Allen "Daddy" and Alan Q is two years younger than him.

 

Do you mean Sarah Brown or Tamara Braun? It's just funny you got their last names mixed up. They ARE very similar.

[Ambrosefolly]

15 minutes ago, Francie said:

 

It's not quite Cathy Moriarty and Sally Field. But it's a damn sight too close.

I think it works for this situation. Laura Wright has always been a bit mature looking, It is why she almost sold being SG!Tammy's mother on GL, but Bobbie was extremely young when she had Carly, almost a child her self, 15/16 years old , so if Bobbie was born in 1957, Carly would have been born around 1972/1973, which is pretty close to Laura Wright's actual birth year, which is 1970.

[Chairperson Meow]

I've always wondered how old these characters actually are.  I assume Sonny is 90 just because.   AJ is about 40ish. Jason was 40ish, but now is back to his 30s.  Sam is in her 30s.  Liz is in her 30s.  Franco is I don't know, 50.  Brenda is 30s.  Lucky is 30s.  Cam is middle aged.  

[WendyCR72]

4 hours ago, TessHarding2 said:

And if you haven't had a good laugh lately, watch Jed Allen as Edward Q (a temp), when Tracey calls Jed Allen "Daddy" and Alan Q is two years younger than him.

Not that it makes it any better, but Jed Allan and Stuart Damon - per IMDB - were both said to be born in 1937, so they are the same age. Which made the Brief!Edward/Alan relationship even more idiotic.

ETA: Hmm. Now I see where the 2 years younger thing with JA comes in. IMDB used to have JA's birth year as 1937; I see it has been changed to 1935. Now I wonder which is right? Still makes JA!Edward/Alan weird.

[Ambrosefolly]

He might have been young, but I am in the agreement he "got" Edward (at least the Original version I have seen) slightly better than John Ingle, but age has to be factored in unless the show was willing to age him even more a la Sophia from the Golden Girls. What was really dumb is that Jed Allen would have made an excellent new Q or rival business man. 

[TeeVee329]

6 hours ago, TessHarding2 said:

And if you haven't had a good laugh lately, watch Jed Allen as Edward Q (a temp), when Tracey calls Jed Allen "Daddy" and Alan Q is two years younger than him.

Oh geez, the Jed Allen Edward.  And he was the one on canvas when Lila died, right?  Ooof.

[HeatLifer]

2010 Lucky/Jason cracked me up. Like, that was alllllll SBu/JJ coming through. 

[ulkis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thztv5zpSJM&index=195&list=PL8DB1E657C81B580C

I didn't forget per se how bad GV was but I guess it's still like "oh yeah right he was no good". Something about his diction, he sounded like a kid when he yelled.

ugh, Jason. Ugh, the mullet.

[ulkis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJgbQvEibbI&list=PL27C3AEAF3EA0837F

okay, this is hilarious. I was watching this one, not really paying attention, just heard Jason say at about 1 minute in, "Sonny doesn't do well in lock-up" and rolled my eyes, but that must have been for the people who hate Sonny, because the next second, Diane, who was trying to help get Sonny out, completely forgets about it because she won litigator of the year. And insults Ric on the way out the door which is a bonus for me cause he annoyed me, heh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuLZVfy8_1I&list=PL27C3AEAF3EA0837F&index=7

lol of the decade (at 4:37)

Carly: I remember how wonderful with Michael you were, how wonderful he turned out because of you

Jason: How wonderful Michael turned out? Come on.

Edited June 10, 2016 by ulkis

[HeatLifer]

I miss SBu's random yelling, IDC. It was freaking hysterical.

Carly talking about Liz being a manipulater considering her history? Always laughable.

2008 Sam is forever missed. That personality was so entertaining to me. Mature!Sam! is such a snooze.

The Jason who finally realized Robin was right >>>>>>>>>>>>.

[ulkis]

Except Sam's hair. Whose idea was it to give both Sam and Liz highlights, I wonder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erdhcdru2wU&index=10&list=PL27C3AEAF3EA0837F

Argh, now Carly is tramping (as in, the walking sense of the word) around wanting to get custody for Jason because that is the closest she can come to being a surrogate/having his baby and Sonny is telling her it's none of her business. If only he would say that to her during all this Avery shit.

Her hair is good here though. LW needs to grow it longer because when it's shorter and then they straighten it, it looks like a halo around her head.

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, ulkis said:

Carly: I remember how wonderful with Michael you were, how wonderful he turned out because of you

Jason: How wonderful Michael turned out? Come on.

LMAO that is gold!

17 minutes ago, ulkis said:

Except Sam's hair. Whose idea was it to give both Sam and Liz highlights, I wonder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erdhcdru2wU&index=10&list=PL27C3AEAF3EA0837F

Liz looks like a child beauty pageant contestant there.

[jsbt]

1 hour ago, ulkis said:

Carly: I remember how wonderful with Michael you were, how wonderful he turned out because of you

Jason: How wonderful Michael turned out? Come on.

I think I remember that. I laughed, and I hated Steve's Jason Morgan with a passion by then.

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, ulkis said:

the next second, Diane, who was trying to help get Sonny out, completely forgets about it because she won litigator of the year.

Diane had her priorities straight.

54 minutes ago, ulkis said:

Whose idea was it to give both Sam and Liz highlights

Wasn't that part of the Taupe years?

[ulkis]

6 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Wasn't that part of the Taupe years?

Yes, I think so. 

https://youtu.be/Q48wxTqL4o8?list=PL27C3AEAF3EA0837F&t=342

Is that the doctor from Night Shift treating Elizabeth?

[HeatLifer]

HAHAHAHA, Nik. "Why would you keep someone away from someone they love? Why would you do that?"

Yes, that's Leo, @ulkis.

Edited June 11, 2016 by HeatLifer

[TeeVee329]

Carly catches one son in the bed of a woman she hates, then the other one!  Look good on ya, Carls!

 

Edited June 11, 2016 by TeeVee329

[UYI]

4 hours ago, ulkis said:

Yes, I think so. 

 

 

The taupe looked better on Becky than it did on Kelly. 

[TessHarding2]

On 6/9/2016 at 11:13 AM, UYI said:

 

Do you mean Sarah Brown or Tamara Braun? It's just funny you got their last names mixed up. They ARE very similar.

Haha! Yes, I meant Sarah Brown!  Thank you!  I had stopped watching in 2002 so I missed Sarah Brown as Claudia Zacchara but watched what I could find online from that general time period.  I thought she rocked as Claudia.  I totally believed her as completely different character.

[CreamedPeas]

I liked Sam and Elizabeth's hair in those clips. I like when a brunette gets highlights that don't look red and Sam's looked good. 

[CreamedPeas]

Sam needs a new hairstyle. After seeing Brenda in those scenes where she has the long dark hair that looks good on her but it doesn't on Sam. But Brenda is so beautiful, they could give her any hairstyle and she'd look good. Sam doesn't have the beautiful features that Brenda does, IMO. 

[Oracle42]

9 hours ago, UYI said:

 

The taupe looked better on Becky than it did on Kelly. 

 

The taupe was an abomination 

[backhometome]

I hated the blonde highlights on Sam. And the big poofy curls they gave Liez/Sam made them look like they were in a beauty pageant. 

[UYI]

13 hours ago, Oracle42 said:

 

The taupe was an abomination 

It was, but if nothing else, it flattered Becky's coloring somewhat more than it did Kelly's.

Edited June 12, 2016 by UYI

[CreamedPeas]

I like bigger hair. The greasy hanging look of Sam's is gross. Liz's was a little big but I ought it was pretty. 

I don't think I was watching the show when those clips were from. Sam looked so much better to me with hair, clothes and makeup that didn't look like she was trying to be Leather Tuscadaro at 40. 

She has the figure to look good in anything so they need to give her a better wardrobe. 

[fishcakes]

I can't find a picture of it, but the worst Sam ever looked was when she was doing Everyday Heroes or whatever that show was called and for some reason they would have her dress up like Joan Crawford in evening gowns and fur stoles, hair in a severe updo, and bright red lipstick, then go over to Jason's penthouse and be haughty with him.

[Oracle42]

There was so much bad hair during that period. 

[sunnyface]

Could someone please point me in the direction of the last time that there was a thinning of the herd/cast?  TIA.

[UYI]

Gloria Monty got rid of quite a few actors when she returned in 1991; Wendy Riche might have done the same when she joined in 1992.

[Asp Burger]

In the spoilers thread, there was some discussion of Zander's complicity in the meat-locker episode. 

Chairperson Meow:

Quote

I think he knew, but Zander was also somehow like bullied by Sonny into cooperating because he had to prove himself.   Zander told AJ that Sonny was serious

My memory of Zander in that mess was that he was sent in to the meat locker by Sonny as a sort of "good cop" or false friend in the process of breaking AJ. It seems to have been as bad as I remembered. Per the ABC.com recap:  

Quote

Meanwhile, Zander visited A.J. in the meat locker to try and convince him to sign the custody papers. A.J. was dismayed that Zander wasn't there to help him escape, and warned him that it would be a mistake to go against him. Zander maintained that his loyalty was to Sonny, and the only way he could help A.J. was by seeing that he signed the papers. When A.J. refused, Zander left and Sonny's men came in. They gave A.J. another false newspaper with headlines of A.J.'s death, and they left him bottles of vodka with Sonny's compliments. In the hallway, Sonny thanked Zander for trying and told him that violence was not an everyday part of his business. He said that his main priority was keeping Michael away from a father who could potentially hurt him. Zander understood those motives, as that was the very reason he had left his own home.

Interesting. That promised something much worse than ended up being the case when we met Zander's father. They really screwed up his whole back story, when we found out he had grown up in a mansion, and his father's crime against him was liking the dead brother more in an Ordinary People ripoff. 

Emily (who was offscreen and between actors at that time) broke off with Zander for a time when AJ told her that Zander had participated in his imprisonment. Of course, since it was AJ, the show couldn't just have him tell her the things Zander had actually done; he told her that Zander had helped Sonny and goons pour alcohol down his throat.

There was also this conversation with Alexis, shortly after Meathookgate (before the Emily kiss-off):  

Quote

Zander: Wait a second. Are you upset with me?

Alexis: Why would I be upset with you, Zander?

Zander: Because I backed Sonny against A.J.

Alexis: He did do it, didn't he?

Zander: Sonny wouldn't let A.J. out of the meat locker until he signed Michael away. Alexis, Sonny did all of it.

Alexis: So everything that A.J. said was true?

Zander: A.J. tried to frame Carly to take away Michael. There's no way Sonny's going to let him get away with that.

Alexis: Zander, do you realize that you lied in front of everyone without even blinking an eye?

Zander: Alexis, you work for Sonny, too.

Alexis: Is that your excuse?

Zander: What's yours?

Alexis: Touché.

Zander: I don't know. There's something about Sonny. It's just -- you feel like you have a chance, you know? Like you can be somebody.

Alexis: Then be somebody, Zander.

Zander: You think I can get a hold of Emily?

Alexis: You can use the phone in Johnny's car.

Zander: Now that all this is over, I can't wait to see her.

Edited June 15, 2016 by Asp Burger

[testardo]

then she turned around and filed those coerced papers to take Michael away from his father. When AJ went to the police, they *MAC* wouldn't listen to him. Skye was the only one on AJ's side. The next year, Alexis was lieing thru her teeth to keep her daughter away from Sonny.

[Chairperson Meow]

I literally do not get how people can straight up diss AJ and claim Sonny is the good guy.  On any other soap, Sonny would be the villain.  

[Asp Burger]

I remember watching that and thinking there was just no way a new viewer could tune in and think Sonny was the person to root for. You'd have to be criminally insane to find him the sympathetic one. I'm surprised ABC skated with some of the things a "protagonist" did in that and other stories. Just the temptation of a recovering alcoholic with vodka bottles all by itself would be something that, if I were a soap writer, I would only dare to give to a villain on the order of Sheila Carter or Stefano DiMera.  

[Harmony233]

1 hour ago, Chairperson Meow said:

I literally do not get how people can straight up diss AJ and claim Sonny is the good guy.  On any other soap, Sonny would be the villain.  

This is one of the reasons I had to take a break from this show in 2003 maybe.I kept on waiting for Sonny and Carly to get theirs.I was used to characters paying but then I finally realized Sonny would never lose and truthfully I think that's when I stopped trusting the show.

[Chairperson Meow]

I remember that on Days they had to use Satanic possession to get Stefano and Marlena together.   GH just used dimples for Brenda and Sonny.   Freaking dimples.  I miss the days (pun not intended ) when there was redemption.  Maurice Bernard could learn a lot from Joe Mascolo and John Aniston.  Even Passions had better love stories than GH.  

[NiqueAlexis]

Sonny ruins everything 

[Chairperson Meow]

I forgot.  Why did Sonny wear the infamous purple track suit?

[dubbel zout]

I think part of it was during the BPD story line; it showed how off the rails Sonny was becoming. One thing I'll give Mo: He wears a (business) suit very well.

Edited June 16, 2016 by dubbel zout

[Chairperson Meow]

11 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

I think part of it was during the BPD story line; it showed how off the rails Sonny was becoming. One thing I'll give Mo: He wears a (business) suit very well.

Lol.  Omg.   So...wow.  I need a clip of it.

[yowsah1]

I have a history question for everyone, because I honestly don't remember. Who, besides A.J. Quartermaine, has Sonny actually killed or been responsible for the death of? The reason I am asking this is because Barge-bound me always thought that Sonny/Jason offed Faith Rosco and lo and behold, according to the GH wiki, he didn't!

Edited June 17, 2016 by yowsah1

[ulkis]

He shot some Russian mobster in front of Olivia in 2008, and another one at last year's mob meeting. And imo Dante's shooting counts as well. 

[Chairperson Meow]

35 minutes ago, yowsah1 said:

I have a history question for everyone, because I honestly don't remember. Who, besides A.J. Quartermaine, has Sonny actually killed or been responsible for the death of? The reason I am asking this is because Barge-bound me always thought that Sonny/Jason offed Faith Rosco and lo and behold, according to the GH wiki, they didn't!

He's a serial killer too.  Sonny's killed Adela's unborn child, Joe Scully, Ben Rogers, a guy named Harry, Karpov, AJ, and a Russian mob guy.  He's mostly into breaking & entering, kidnapping, and attempted murder.  The GH wiki has his crimes listed.  

[dubbel zout]

Most crimes in GH are connected to Sonny, directly or indirectly.

[nilyank]

He did not kill Adela's unborn child - that baby turned out to be Ric. He killed Joe Sully to save his father Mike. He killed Karpov and AJ for stupidstupid and selfish reasons.

I am sure he killed a bunch more nameless characters but killing AJ was his worse offense. Everyone else was in the business and just as dirty as he was.

[jsbt]

I don't know why they haven't walked back killing A.J. I suspect Ron may have had it in his back pocket, he almost always did even for characters he never got to bring back (Alan Q, several OLTL casualties, etc). It's Sonny's worst sin and they just sort of stumble around it like jackasses.

Easiest way to address it is still to rebuild Michael's growing resentment to Sonny over any number of things, then discover he already knows A.J. is alive and recuperating (or have him discover late in the day, if people want him to be less calculating) and have him work with him - and maybe Jax - to undo Sonny's empire again. You wouldn't even have to bring Sean Kanan (or whoever) back full time, at best have him on for a few days or weeks and then A.J. spirits himself away again.

But they'll never do that story, because they have not invested in Michael as a character and will not be doing so. He is the beta male son to Sonny, that's all. Ron toyed with doing more with him and the Qs, and remnants of that family bond still remain - even Guza did more with him in his twisted way, by trying to push the dark mob angle - but all real investment in the character as a young male lead is mostly gone now. To say nothing of how far down the list of priorities characters like Dante and Lulu have fallen.

Edited June 17, 2016 by jsbt

[Chairperson Meow]

I actually think Ron would have brought AJ back to do his Cain & Abel thing, but was waiting to see how viewers responded to BM as Jason.   It would've been his Tale of Two Todds that he never got to tell.  I think he would've just said AJ was in one of the pods and/or being held for something,  "it" if you will.   They both love ratings stunts, so I think they'd have gotten SK back in a couple of years.   I think they underestimated a lot though and gambled too much on Luke /TG's exit story.   

[testardo]

On ‎6‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 10:54 AM, Chairperson Meow said:

I remember that on Days they had to use Satanic possession to get Stefano and Marlena together.   GH just used dimples for Brenda and Sonny.   Freaking dimples.  I miss the days (pun not intended ) when there was redemption.  Maurice Bernard could learn a lot from Joe Mascolo and John Aniston.  Even Passions had better love stories than GH.  

Putting Mo on the screen with either or both of these actors would give the soap fans a great laugh. .It also would show how much talent Mo doesn't have.