Classic Soaps (I'm Still) Watching Another World

[Canon]

Previously in Another World...

Sharlene Frame developed a split personality, named Sharly. Sharly hated Sharlene's husband, Doctor John, and was desperate to get away so that she could live an exciting life somewhere else.

Enter Senator Dack Rambo.

They began an affair and were planning to run away together until they were rumbled by Doctor John.

​

John managed to get Sharlene into hospital, and with the help of the brilliant and kind-hearted Doctor Shoulderpads (aka Doctor Taylor Benson) managed to merge Sharlene's personalities to create Super Sharlene. They soon learnt that Sharlene was pregnant, who wasn't sure if John or the Senator was the father. Eventually, Senator Rambo admitted that no penetration had taken place between him and Sharly.

John and Sharlene thought that their lives could now get back to normal. They were wrong. It turned out that Doctor Shoulderpads was a complete psycho, who was now obsessed with Doctor John and determined to split his marriage up.

She lured a heavily pregnant Sharlene to an old warehouse and locked up her. This being a soap, Sharlene picked that very moment to go into labour. Thankfully she was found in time, and baby Gregory arrived safely. But Shoulderpads wasn't finished with her yet, she managed to kidnap Sharlene at gunpoint and brought her to an abandoned fairground, where she planned to dispose of Sharlene once and for all. John found them and chased Shoulderpads out on to a pier, they struggled with the gun, it went off...

Doctor Shoulderpads body was not found. Weeks go by, Sharlene receives a mysterious phone call, she tells John she's just popping out to get some ricotta cheese. She kisses him as she leaves.

John - "What was that for?"

Sharlene - "Because I love you so much."

Sharlene doesn't return home. Eventually John, with the help of Frankie, trace Sharlene to the Windswept yacht owned by a Doctor Taylor Benson. At the harbour, John, Michael, Ryan and Frankie watch in horror as the yacht explodes in front of them.

John refusing to believe that Sharlene could be dead, finds Taylor in a mental institution. Taylor has lost her mind, but she manages to tell a story of how she blew up Windswept while Sharlene was aboard. John erupts and tries to strangle Taylor.

Update: I'm now at February 1992, a grieving John has become confused about his feelings for his niece-in-law Frankie Frame, much to the horror of Frankie's estranged husband, the celebrated private detective Cass A. Nova (wait, what?).​

 

[Daniel Avery]

Yippee! Bay City lives on.

It's interesting how they kept trying to pair David Forsyth's John with various other non-Anna Holbrook women, and invariably they were a flop. They tried to develop a triangle with Michael and Donna when he first arrived (and Donna was played by that unsuitable non-Anna Stuart person), and it was painful to watch. His temporary thing with Alice-Barrett Mitchell's Frankie was probably more about creating friction in the Cass/Frankie relationship than anything else, since Frankie's crystals-and-incense shtick was totally not Dr. John's style. They'll toss another one or two women at him with similarly lackluster results. It's always seemed that Forsyth and Holbrook just had "it" and neither seemed to want alternate pairings to work.

You probably noticed that AB-M is hiding a baby bump; the show did very little to hide it. I remember her wearing a bright green, sequined gown at one point and the poor cameramen trying in vain not to film her any lower than the shoulders as she and John danced at Tops. Don't know exactly when that happened, but it was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

 

[Canon]

His temporary thing with Alice-Barrett Mitchell's Frankie was probably more about creating friction in the Cass/Frankie relationship than anything else, since Frankie's crystals-and-incense shtick was totally not Dr. John's style.

I didn't hate the John and Frankie thing, of course it could only ever be a brief and strictly emotional thing, but I thought it was interesting to see these two characters in that situation. And Frankie should really get it on with someone else before she takes Cass back. Just to even the score.

You probably noticed that AB-M is hiding a baby bump; the show did very little to hide it.

Yes, Frankie has just left to go to a retreat in Peru to find her "inner voice" again.

They tried to develop a triangle with Michael and Donna when he first arrived (and Donna was played by that unsuitable non-Anna Stuart person), and it was painful to watch.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Of course Anna Stuart can create chemistry with a department-store mannequin. They tried three or four times with Forsyth and Stuart over ten years, but it just was not happening--which leads me to believe they tanked it on purpose. I know Hack Producer Jill Farren Phelps developed some kind of weird fixation on the man when she ran AW, so John ended up being shoved into a few bizarre shock-plots that seemed to be JFP living her fantasies about DF through the show.

Have you watched the series Homeland, @Canon? I have a bizarre, AW-related question that I can't solve on my own since I don't have premium cable.

 

[Canon]

Have you watched the series Homeland, @Canon? I have a bizarre, AW-related question that I can't solve on my own since I don't have premium cable.

Yes, Cass turns up briefly as Claire Danes' doctor.

 

[Daniel Avery]

THAT's what I was wondering. I was looking at Stephen Schnetzer's IMDB page (long story) and they had him listed as temporarily being on Homeland, playing "Dr. Cass Winthrop". I was like...WTF???? They gave the character THAT name? Cool!

"Looocy! Time to call the feesa-key-a-tris!"

 

[Canon]

THAT's what I was wondering. I was looking at Stephen Schnetzer's IMDB page (long story) and they had him listed as temporarily being on Homeland, playing "Dr. Cass Winthrop". I was like...WTF???? They gave the character THAT name? Cool!

It would have been cool, but I just checked the episode and his character's name was Maloney. Shame.

 

[Daniel Avery]

IMDb is increasingly disappointing. I wanted him to be named Winthrop, if only because it would be a shout-out to my favorite show!

 

[Canon]

Previously in the old thread...

Is Paulina really a Cory?

 

[Canon]

Donna gives up on her custody fight for Mikey and allows him to return to his real parents, she does it to protect her secret - that she had an affair with her former son-in-law, Jake McKinnon.

 

[Canon]

Vicky meets Ryan Harrison (while on a runaway horse)...

He's Grant's younger brother...

 

[Canon]

Frankie gets kidnapped on her wedding day (by Ryan - long story)...

...but she and Cass do eventually get married...

 

[Canon]

Sharlene has a terrifying flashback to her childhood...

 

[Canon]

There's going to be trouble ahead...

 

[Canon]

Marley reveals to Vicky that she was raped by Jake. A brilliant scene where Anne Heche plays out both characters and their reactions seamlessly.

Which brought us to...

Who Shot Jake?

 

[Daniel Avery]

Elsewhere in Bay City...

Look who's not dead after all!

Did you miss me?

But I saw you die!

You saw me die, too...but I showed up again!

Yeah, I really goofed when I told everyone you were alive. D'oh!

I did my best to rid you of that pesky Kathleen...but I was constantly foiled by your policeman friend.

Vicky, the man is a killer. Why are you constantly trying to get closer to him?

Oh, come on! You love it when I do the opposite of what you say.

You're right! Don't ever change.

Ummm....about that....

 

[Canon]

View attachment 558
You're right! Don't ever change.

View attachment 559
Ummm....about that....

I'm a bit nervous about admitting this to you, but...

Spoiler

I've become quite fond of New Vicky and Marley. I think the actress is really good.

<< ducks for cover >>

 

[Jason73]

I'm a bit nervous about admitting this to you, but...

Yay! I liked her too!

 

[Daniel Avery]

No need to be ashamed! Keep in mind that when Jensen Buchanan was hired, she was a very easy-going actress who was happy she had a high-profile gig (the highest of her career to that point). She signed on to play the girls and the show continued to write for them as two separate entities. It wasn't until later (like, two years later or so) that JB let the popularity go to her head and made noises that she wanted what I call special treatment (though I would not call it diva behavior at that point). I lost some of my respect for her since the show allowed itself to be held hostage to JB's wants and needs, and began to resent her when all these concessions were made at the expense of other characters/situations on the show.
I won't go into too much detail, but suffice it to say the good old days of Anne Heche taking whatever they threw at her and working her butt off to make it work were over.

It was much easier to take once they stopped over-doing Vicky's make-up in an effort to help the audience recognize JB's Vicky against JB's Marley, but I never really thought JB and Paul Michael Valley had the same magic that PMV and Heche had. JB did very well with Mark Pinter, though--I assume they screen-tested Pinter with JB to be sure of this, though. Vicky and Grant's complicated relationship for the remainder of the show's run was impressive.

 

[Canon]

Yay! I liked her too!

No need to be ashamed! Keep in mind that when Jensen Buchanan was hired, she was a very easy-going actress who was happy she had a high-profile gig (the highest of her career to that point). She signed on to play the girls and the show continued to write for them as two separate entities.

Vicky is one of the few characters causing a bit mischief at the moment and I think this has helped me take to the new actress. While Heche's Vicky left town as a more rounded individual, the new Vicky, I think, has reverted back to her old ways.

Still, it's all in keeping with what the character is about. The new Paulina on the other hand has now lost all trace of what made the character so great. She's now so desperately sincere and good, and almost always on the verge of tears. It's so disappointing. Though she does work well with Jake.

I never really thought JB and Paul Michael Valley had the same magic that PMV and Heche had. JB did very well with Mark Pinter, though--I assume they screen-tested Pinter with JB to be sure of this, though. Vicky and Grant's complicated relationship for the remainder of the show's run was impressive.

Yes, all of the characters being recast (at nearly the same time) has changed all the relationships. It's all about Grant and Vicky now.