The World According to Tina

Before I start writing a review of Tina Sloan's book, Changing Shoes, let's get a couple of things out of the way:

1. I'm a life-long fan of soaps
2. Being a life-long fan of soaps, I've watched Tina Sloan and been a fan of hers since her days on 
    Somerset
3. Having interviewed Tina and interacted with her on a personal level, I find her to be a gracious, 
    charming,  lovely person.
4. None of these things would make me give a book a positive review if it didn't deserve it. Books play way
    too much of an important role in my life for me to take a dive, so to speak.

With that out of the way, let's get on to the subject at hand: Changing Shoes. For a year or so friends and fans of Tina Sloan have heard about the book she was working on. Some folks had the advantage of having seen the one-woman show the book is based on, and had an idea what was in store for them. I haven't caught Tina's show. All I knew about Changing Shoes was what Tina had told me when I interviewed her, and what she's shared about it on Facebook and Twitter. I wasn't really sure if I'd be reading a memoir, a self-help book, a tell-all expose'...or what. At various times during the past year, Tina has spoken about her aging parents, her days as a model and young actress, the changes that she has undergone as she's aged, her time on the set of movies and television shows, her relationships with family and friends...and she's talked about them in the context of Changing Shoes. For a while there I found myself thinking, "What in the world is this book going to be about? What can the narrative voice possibly be, if not schizophrenic?" As most of you know, the book was released last week and, if you're anything like me, you devoured it in record time.

Everyone has interesting things in their life. I mean it. Everyone. Every life is full of funny or sad or ironic stories, coincidences, accidents, tragedies, etc. For the most part, this doesn't amount to much. Having a good story and being able to tell a good story - these are two very different things. Tina Sloan not only has a treasure trove of good stories, she's one hell of a storyteller. In answer to my own question - "What can the narrative voice of Changing Shoes be...?" - reading Changing Shoes feels like meeting a good friend at a favorite coffee house, sitting down on a comfy couch, and asking her, "How on earth did you get from where you started to where you are today?"

The book opens with Tina coming to the realization that she's reached a stage in life where all eyes are no longer on her, but on the much younger woman next to her. From here, she takes the reader on a narrative journey through different parts of her life. We make brief stops at her Catholic high school in New York, Paris -where she comes into her own under the guidance of a wise and liberated woman with heaps of finesse, her early days as a model and actress in NYC, marriage, motherhood, career, the steady decline and eventual death of her parents, and a bunch of other places. I'd wondered if Changing Shoes would be a memoir, a self-help book, an expose'....the answer is, it's all of these things. I have to say, though, as an expose', it's very gentle. Long-time soap fans will have fun wondering/trying to figure out who it was that wore a baseball cap to hide the evidence of too many facelifts because, when it comes to this sort of stuff, Tina isn't naming names. This makes Tina's narrative voice more likable - she can tell a great story, but she's not out to smear anyone. Everyone likes a good storyteller, but nobody likes a bitch, and there's not a hint of bitchiness in Changing Shoes. If you're hoping to read the dirty secrets and scandals from behind the scenes at Guiding Light, this isn't the book for you. If, on the other hand, you're interested in how, during a time when most characters over 40 were being shoved asside, Tina not only managed to remain employed, but ended the run of GL with a front-and-center romance, you've come to the right place. You've come to the right place, too, if you want to hear the straight dope from a woman who hasn't had plastic surgery, doesn't plan to have plastic surgery, and isn't afraid to be honest about her age.

The section of Changing Shoes which deals with Tina's parents and their last years was something I found especially moving. It's an important story she tells, of having to cope with the mixed emotions that the failing health of a parent can bring. Most people are afraid to talk about how frustrating it can be to watch our parents get old, or how guilt drives a lot of what we do,when it comes to caring for them. Still fewer people are able to discuss the inevitable feeling of relief that comes when a person who has lived with prolonged illness finally dies. It's something we all experience, but it's something of a taboo. Having recently lost my mother, this section of the book was painful, but also a catharsis. While I miss my mother terribly, I've also experienced a sense of relief since she passed; no longer do I worry that every late-night phone call is THE phone call I've dreaded. Tina discusses this frankly - the fact that loving one's parents and being devoted to them does not make caring for them an absolute joy, and that the range of emotions that comes with this experience is not only natural, but universal.

Tina gets brownie points for managing to tell stories about her interaction with famous people without being a showoff. When she relates a story about Jodie Foster it doesn't feel as if she's bragging about having worked with a major movie star. Quite the opposite - it reminds us that Jodie Foster may be a movie star, but she's also just a woman...a woman Tina Sloan happened to have worked with, once. This, ultimately, is what makes Changing Shoes such an enjoyable read. It's not really about a soap star. It's Everywoman's story. The names and dates and specific details may be different, but the fundimental truths are the same: girls become women, young women become middle-aged women who become older women, parents live and die, kids grow up, people laugh, cry, complain, and make mistakes. It's how each of deals with these parts of life that matters.

I realize this may not be the most interesting book review, as I have nothing but good things to say about Changing Shoes. It's well written. It's touching. It's funny. It's juicy. It's full of homespun wisdom about things you never thought you'd hear homespun wisdom about. Tina Sloan will not tell you how to make a perfect pie crust, but she will give you tips on the best hormonal supplements to take if you want to kick up a sagging libido, but don't want to grow a moustache. You don't get that kind of advice every day.

The Year In Review

Patrick Erwin beat me to it, and his Best and Worst list is well worth reading, so check it out.

Snapper's best and Worst of 2009

Most shocking television plot twist, hands down:

Dexter's Rita takes a bath. Holy crap. My mouth was literally agape when this aired for the first time. I dreamt of poor Rita that night. What more is there to say?

Most ridiculously joyful moment, night time television:

This one is a tie, and it all belongs to Mad Men's Joan Holloway: between

Joan bashing her obnoxious husband over the head with a vase, and her triumphant return to the world of advertising in the season finale, this character brought me more pure, giddy joy than any other in my recollection. I cheered both times. Literally cheered.

Most lovable dark horse:

Edie Falco's Nurse Jackie. She's an adulteress, a drug addict, an habitual liar, a bitch on wheels. And I couldn't love her more than I already do.

Most unlikley agent of pure evil:

John Lithgow, Dexter. Who the hell knew John Lithgow had it in him? His Trinity Killer is pure, unadulterated evil of the creepiest variety. The man sends chills up and down my spine. Can this really, truly be Roberta, the lovable transexual from The World According to Garp? This bit of casting was inspired, and Lithgow is nothing short of brilliant.

Most frustrating test of patience:

The wait for season 4 of Big Love. I know it's coming in January, but it's been one hell of a wait.

Best Web Series:

Compulsions. You probably haven't seen this. Chances are, you haven't heard of it. Well, now you have no excuse. If you like Dexter...if you think Profit was just too damned good to survive network television...if you enjoy the finger-cutting scene in Bound...if you just love the idea of people leading double lives.... Compulsions is for you. I'm serious. This series is free to view, and everything about it is good: great scripts, fine acting, great camera work. These guys make each 4-6 minute episode feel as complete and jam-packed as an hour of traditional television.

Most effective promotion of a web series:

Crystal Chappell, Venice: The Series. Long before even one second had been filmed, people were chomping at the bit to see this. The hype was over-the-top. Chappell shrewdly flooded not only the soap press, but managed to cross over to mainstream, with an appearence on CNN. Unfortunately the product, itself, is pure crap and there seems to be no technical know-how connected to the production - inexcusable in this medium. Too bad the end-product didn't live up to the hype but, really, what could have lived up to such a build-up?

Most shocking casting coup:

James Franco, General Hospital. Nuff said.

Best performance by a female, daytime:

Beth Maitland, The Young and the Restless. Everyone I talk to who watched that fateful week of Y&R either loved it or hated it, but we all agree on one thing: Beth Maitland was superb. I never realized how much I missed her until she came back and, boy, did she come back with the goods. I'm not forgetting that 2009 was the year that Crystal Chappell knocked it out of the park with the graveyard scene (and so many other scenes), but big is often easier to play than little. Beth Maitland's Traci was, during this stint, a small miracle. She's quietly brilliant, and quiet brilliance is so freaking difficult to pull off.

Best performance by a male, daytime:

Grant Aleksander, Guiding Light. There was a lot of buzz when Grant returned to the role of Philip Spaulding in 2008. Most of us thought he was brought back to help save the show, In reality he returned to make sure Philip came full circle as Guiding Light ended. While he didn't always have the greatest or most believable stuff to work with, Grant reminded me of why so many of us love him.

Best off-screen drama:

Eric Braeden's Mexican stand-off with Y&R. I love you, Eric Braeden. No one at CBS or Sony thought you'd break the unwritten rule and open your mouth about the way these companies seem to think contract negotiations ought to be run (ultimatums sent via email???) but, God love you, you did. You talked and talked and talked, and reminded the world that Y&R is Victor's show. While you did end up taking a significant pay cut in the end, the damage was already done, and TPTB will think twice the next time they pull this kind of stunt with anyone who really matters. And Y&R? Virtually unwatchable since you've been gone. I'm looking forward to your return.

Biggest waste of talent:

Maureen Garrett, Guiding Light. Guiding Light had one hell of an opportunity to do something interesting and challenging with one of the best actors daytime has ever seen. They had her on the set for only one day, true, but they wasted that day. It was nice seeing Holly, again, but what did it achieve? More than anything, the wasted opportunity made me sad.

Best trend spurred on by the cancelation of television's longest-running drama:

Invested fans of Guiding Light hitting the web and making their voices heard. Who better to cover the end of an era, than those who actually followed along for years? The demise of GL brought about dozens of blogs, podcasts, forums, and events - all home-grown by actual fans. Some of this stuff was awful, some of it was great. Either way, it didn't matter - it's now clear that there are a substantial number of bright, articulate people to whom serial drama matters, and they are just as qualified- if not more so - to discuss and critique the genre than some guy at The Wall Street Journal who has never watched a serial drama in his life.

Worst trend spurred by the cancelation of television's longest-running drama:

Blind, overly-invested fans of Otalia and Crystal Chappell deciding that anyone not 100% pleased with the course of the story line, or of Crystal Chappell's looks, words and actions should be considered enemies of the state. The "you're either with us or against us" mentality is a truly ugly by-product of GL's cancelation that will no doubt bite one or two people on the ass.

Biggest career boost spurred on by the cancelation of television's longest-running drama:

Tina Sloan. Many of us knew who Tina Sloan was, and how damned good an actress she was long before Guiding Light was cancelled. For a whole generation of people who only knew Tina as the too-often back-burnered Lillian Raines, though, Tina's charm, humor, intelligence and range came as a pleasant surprise. Not one to take adversity sitting down, Tina's career seems to have been ironically re-invigorated by the demise of GL - her one-woman show has been a smashing success, she's secured a publishing deal for her book (due out in 2010), she's blogging at Huffington Post, she's just wrapped up filming a movie with Natalie Portman, and she's a fan favorite on Facebook and Twitter. This is, IMO, a well-deserved career boost - those of us who have followed Tina for years did not like the idea of her sitting on the back burner for so long.

Best podcast:

Pancakes and A Valium. I find podcasts pretty tiresome and boring, as a rule, but PAAV was and is consistantly funny and amusing, not to mention smart, clever and thought-provoking. And, before you write in to say I'm only mentioning PAAV because I like Liz and Dani Pancake, flip it around, kids: I only got to know and love Liz and Dani because I stumbled on to their great podcast one day and got hooked. Is there a law against liking cool, smart, funny people?

Best comeback:

Patrick Erwin, A Thousand Other Worlds. When Patrick decided to call it a day and stop blogging, my heart sank. How psyched was I, a few weeks later, when he had a change of heart and wrote his "Never mind" entry?

Nice Day For A White Wedding - Episode Breakdown

9/14/09

The Spauldings

Alan has found redemption, and all seems right with the world. Ron Raines has managed to do the impossible: make Alan Spaulding seem....huggable. Seriously, I want to hug that guy. The scene with Emma was sweet, and his reaction to hearing about "my brother, Rafe" was great. He didn't look psyched, but he held back his usual judgmental pronouncements.

The moments between Alan and Alex are touching, and today's especially so. Just about every word uttered this week, by every character, could have a double meaning. When Alan talks about how things can change in a split second, it's about Alan's life, and also about the life of a show that has been with us for 72 years, and is now days away from being a part of the past.

Phillip is well and happy and determined to have Beth by is side, once again. As it should be. And James? I'm glad they haven't had James make a 360 degree turn, and become a model son just because of how close he has come to losing his father and grandfather. When James set off for his date with Daisy, and Phillip reached out to straighten his son's tie, James pulled back a bit. He's not 100% on board with his father, yet, and that's realistic. We've had a glimpse of the James that can be, if he ever learns to let go of his anger 100% but, let's face it, James has a lot to be angry about. The James we see today is so very different form the one we saw just six months ago. Today, I actually liked James.

The Lewises

I love me some Lewis men. They're just good old boys who know how to hoot and holler and whop it up. How lovely and natural to see Dylan, and actor Morgan Englund looks exactly the same as he did 15 years ago. The fishing scene was sweet as hell, until the camera pulled back and revealed traffic just 15 feet away. I'm fairly sure the Lewis boys were fishing in a sewage ditch. I'm glad the writers thought to throw in Dylan's line about only catching garbage, and I'm sure whatever fish Billy caught had three eyes and green, glowing skin. But I'm nit-picking. I loved seeing the Lewis boys together, and with Reva at the helm, no less.

Reva and Josh

I know people are holding out for these two, but Jefferey is still alive, and Josh looks more and more determined to just be Reva's friend. Their playfulness is fun to watch. I especially liked the look on Reva's face when she found out about Olivia and Natalia, and I loved her "Life is too short" line. With all Olivia and Reva have been through together, I can believe that Reva would be happy to see Olivia find some peace and happiness of her own, for once.

The Reardons

Oh, how wonderful was it to see Nola and Bridgett, even if it was just a short stint? I've always thought the casting of Melissa Hayden in the role of Bridgett was inspired. Hayden is like a young Lisa Brown, both in looks and attitude. She's full of spunk and fire. They look like family. And here's to Nola's comment about Company looking better when it belonged to them. It was, after all, Tony Reardon's Company, back in the day. And, long before the Coopers came onto the scene to fill the void, the Reardons were the preeminent working class family in Springfield. So many wonderful story lines found their way in and out of that boarding house under the auspices of the Reardons, that it's only right we be reminded of the family's history and significance.

And, lest we forget, Matt is a Reardon - the last one still in Springfield (except for little Maureen.) Wonderful of Nola and Bridgett to bring up Matt, and how they want to make sure he's ok. It's a wonderfully soapy twist of fate, how Nola and Vanessa, once staunch enemies, ended up intertwined in one another's lives forever. Nola married Vanessa's brother, Quint. Vanessa's best friend was Nola's sister, Maureen. Vanessa and Bridgett shared custody of Peter (who is also Blake's nephew, through Hart - another nice nod to the past.) Vanessa married and had a child with Matt - Nola's baby brother, and Bridgett's uncle. Bridgett and Nola would absolutely attend Vanessa's wedding, but they would also absolutely make sure to take care of Matt's heart. Well played.

Extra credit: Nola's reference to "the same dress."

Otalia

The girls were bit players in today's show, but it was nice to see them out and about and together. It's as if a weight has been lifted, and they can actually partake in real life, once again, after a long hiatus. Anyone who can't figure out they're a couple needs to catch a ride on the nearest little, yellow bus, because I do not walk around with my arm around my platonic friend's waist. Nor do I freely touch my platonic friend's pregnant belly, or talk about how "we are so excited about the smell of new baby." Everything about Otalia was pretty damned cute, today.

This is my blog, and I'll post irrelevant pictures of pretty things, if I want to.

Rafe

Lillian and Buzz

They're so damned adorable together, and three cheers for people over 50 not only getting their groove on, but falling in love. So fucking sweet.

Lillian's scene by Maureen Bauer's grave was great, and Tina Sloan hit it out of the park. Fans will be interested to know that it was Tina who insisted the writers include some sort of dialogue between Lillian and Maureen. Lillian's life has been at a stand-still ever since her one fall from grace - her affair with Ed Bauer. Her actions lead to the death of Maureen Bauer, and she has never forgiven herself. As penance, she has denied herself joy. It's high time Lillian enter the world of the living again, but this would have been impossible without some sort of closure. Kudos to Tina Sloan for making sure the writers did not let this show wrap without Lillian's visit to Maureen's grave. Lillian's story is as much a redemption story as Alan's, but her redemption is more personal. Vanessa forgave her years ago. She's had to learn to forgive herself.

Vanessa and Billy

I won't lie - in my heart of heart's I always preferred Vanessa with Matt. They were just such an amazing, gorgeous couple. There's a sweetness to Vanessa and Billy as a couple, though. She was such a handful - a spoiled brat, really - when they first met. If she taught Billy about the rules of propriety, he taught her about the importance of treating people - all people - the right way. And what a great job he did. After all, who in Springfield has more grace than Vanessa? In a lot of ways, I have to admit, they're a great couple. Jordan Clarke has been through a lot over the years - he's overcome' his own demons, just as Billy Lewis has. I'm so glad it's the "real" Billy Lewis we got to see with Vanessa today, and glad Billy referred to the hard times in his vows. Who could forget what hell Billy put his family through with his drinking? But how wonderful to hear him speak openly about it, and to know (because it is, after all, a soap opera) that he really has turned his life around, once and for all. And when Billy Lewis gets teary, I get choked up.

One thing, though. While it was great to have Vanessa make reference to her father, Henry, and to the last letter he wrote to her before he died, it also felt a little funny. Long time fans know full well that Henry's last letter to Vanessa was full of praises for Matt, in whose hands Henry felt so good about entrusting his daughter's heart. I'm linking that scene, not so much because the reference bothered me a tiny bit, but because it's such a great scene for Maeve Kinkead, and a great tribute to the late, great William Roerick.

Odds and Sods

How much do I love Jeanne Cooper and Christian LeBlanc of Y&R for requesting cameo roles on GL as the show wound down? You can just catch glimpses of them behind Rafe at the wedding. Jeanne Cooper is a Grande Dame in the world of soap opera. She is not used to being hidden behind some young whipper snapper, and treated like a day player. That she and LeBlanc (also no slouch) wanted to honor this show, the actors and the crew by just being there for a day of shooting shows what a couple of class acts they are. They had to fly from L.A. to NYC and drive out to Peapack New Jersey for one day to do this, by the way.

I don't give a shit about baby Sarah, which might make me a cold-hearted bitch, but...whatever. I love Jonathan's devil-may-care attitude about everything, and I'm glad he isn't being portrayed as someone who'd accept Alan's redemption at face value. We must remember Alan is responsible for Tammy's death.

• Emma is awesome and cute.
• I don't care about Remy and Christina and even their ten second shot felt like ten seconds stolen from REAL stories
• How can Dylan show up to his father's wedding in a sports shirt and no jacket?
• Blake and Frank need to hook up, already, or just drop it
• Did it strike anyone else as funny that Buzz proposed as an Israeli flag flew in the breeze?
• If Mindy isn't in town to hook up with Rick, what's the point, really? They finally got REAL Mindy back and they waste her.
• I'm pretty sure Billy and Vanessa aren't Catholic. Josh is an ordained minister - why isn't he marrying them?

A Day of Nines - episode breakdown

With only eight episodes to go (including today's), I've decided to write a little bit about each episode that airs. Bear with me, some of these folks have been my friends for decades. I expect this to be a little bit of a catharsis.

9/9/09

Otalia's Reunion

I'm warming up to Olivia's decision to give in and get on with the business of being officially "with" Natalia for two reasons: 1) we're running out of time, and I'll be happier to see these two end up together than apart, as the lights dim on Springfield and 2) Crystal Chappell is really good at projecting joy and wonder and, when Liv is happy, I'm happy. 

A couple of people I talked to were less than thrilled with Natalia's reaction to Olivia's "I love you" and felt she should have returned the sentiment. I'm not Nat's biggest fan right now, but I was fine with the way she handled it. First of all, I'm not in favor of saying "I love you" just because someone else has said it. Second, I thought it showed us something we hadn't really seen, lately: Natalia actually listening to Olivia, instead of just waiting for her turn to talk. It worked for me. I thought it was sweet, and I thought it was significant. 

As an old friend of mine used to say, "If you like it, I fucking love it." If it makes you happy, Olivia Spencer, I'm there. You got your girl - that's what matters. And I no longer have any expectations, except that I'll need Kleenex on September 18th.

Naming the Baby: Cut a Guy Some Slack

So, we have Liv and Nat together as head-butting, face-touching, hand-holding more-than-friends and co-moms. This does not and should not eliminate Frank Cooper from the equation. He is, after all, father of the unborn baby. A lot of fans seem to be pretty pissed at Frank for being less than thrilled about Olivia being in on the baby-naming. Frankly, the Frank-hate/man-hate is getting really old. Frank is the baby's father, period. He didn't abandon Natalia. He didn't rape Natalia. He never forced her to do anything. As soon as he found out she was carrying their baby, he made it clear he intended to be a stand-up guy. 

This is not a pregnancy story about a lesbian couple who hired a sperm donor. It's a pregnancy story about a man and woman who had sex and a relationship that didn't pan out, and who are now expecting a baby that they both intend to parent, even though they are not a couple. It's really not all that unusual a situation. The fact that the mother-to-be's new partner is a woman is the only element that's not what we usually see. Pretend Olivia isn't the hottest woman you've ever seen but, instead, a guy. Some guy Natalia is in love with and wants to marry. Because that's the role that Olivia has in this equation. Do you think it would be a given that Natalia's husband-to-be would have a part in the naming of the baby she was carrying, even though the baby's father was 100% in the picture? No, he wouldn't. It seems clear from the way the baby-naming scene played out that Natalia hadn't mentioned to Frank that she expected and had invited Olivia to have an equal role in naming the baby. Frank's reaction, then? Completely reasonable and logical. 

Also, Frank gets points with me for suggesting they wait and see what the baby is like before naming her. Blake and Natalia's theory that a kid who isn't named before birth will end up with a complex is, simply put, retarded. Naming a baby before she's born is fine. So is waiting to see what a baby is like. A complex? Just stupid.

Edmund/Jefferey

This story is stupid. Who cares? How did Jefferey get a job in law enforcement when he can't shoot a man standing five feet away? I don't give a damn.

The Spaulding and Raines Families

Sweet Jesus, are they trying to kill me? I've become weepy so many times this past week due to Phillip's fake disease, that I've lost count. I don't care that it's a made-up disease that they never even bothered to create a name for. I don't care that Grant Aleksander is way too robust and healthy looking to play a guy who has just days to live. I don't care that Zack Conroy has one of the stiffest bodies I've ever seen on a teenager (is his spinal column fused at the neck?) I don't care that it's ridiculous the way Lizzie is not pregnant, even though the actress playing the part so obviously is. All I know is, Phillip and Alan and Alex and Beth and Lillian have poured their hearts out, time and again, and I love it. Today was awesome. Beth and Phillip! Beth and Lillian! (side note: are they the best-looking mother/daughter team this side of Holly and Blake, or what?) James and Phillip! Alex and Alan! 

Reva, Josh, Jonathan

I don't give a good goddamn.

History

Kudos to whoever had the good sense to have Olivia and Alex's encounter end in a an air hug that was as uncomfortable as Natalia's fake baby bump. That scene is exactly as it should be. 

Too Little, Too Late

"Go back to your roots. That's going to tell you everything."

In a recent episode of Guiding Light, a distraught Olivia, lost and confused and unable to figure out how to get on with living her life told Blake, "I don't know what to do." Blake's response, "Go back to your roots. That's going to tell you everything."

This bit of advice might have been useful to the writers of GL a year ago, or more. If they'd had that advice, and heeded it, we wouldn't now be sadly saying goodbye to the longest running serial in broadcasting history. If they'd thought to go back to the roots of GL, we wouldn't have wasted so much time on less-than-stellar, inexperienced young actors and/or characters who have no connection to Springfield's core values or history. If the writers had thought to go back to GL's roots - its history, its core characters, and story lines that made us care - we wouldn't now be faced with rushed swan songs by actors and characters who should have been in Springfield, all along.

The Mo Bauer Effect

Few plot lines have made as deep an impact on GL in the last 20 years as the death of Maureen Bauer. The major players in that story line, though - Ed Bauer, Lillian Raines, Vanessa Chamberlain - have been all but dead for the last few years, as far as the writers of GL have been concerned. On 7/28, we were treated to a reunion of sorts, when the scene opened with Ed, newly returned to Springfield, having lunch with Lillian, only to have Vanessa walk in to Towers. For those of us who know the history these characters share, their roles in GL's greatest tragedy, and how each of them has suffered guilt or sadness (or both) since Maureen's death, it was a charged moment.

Anyone who knows this this story knows that Ed Bauer's heart has never truly healed, and that his work in epidemiology is fueled, in part, by his guilt - if he couldn't prevent Maureen's death, he's sure as hell going to save anyone else he can.

Anyone who knows this story knows that Lillian has lived with insurmountable guilt, as well...that she blames herself for creating a situation that led to the death of her dear friend, deprived Ed of a wife and Michelle of a mother. We know that Lillian has not allowed herself to love or be loved for all these many years and that it is only now, with Buzz, that she has begun to let her guard down, forgive herself, and believe herself worthy of love.

Anyone who knows this story knows that, in Maureen, Vanessa lost a soulmate of sorts, and that the friendship these two women shared was closer than that of sisters. It's a rare thing on television or in film for platonic friendship to be honored in the way GL honored the friendship of Vanessa and Maureen. From the get-go, it was made clear that there were two primary grievers - Ed and Vanessa. Vanessa has suffered a sort of widowhood all these years. And, no, I don't mean to imply that there was any sort of sexual energy between these two characters, but that the bond between them was so strong, their friendship so pure and full of love and admiration, that the spot left empty in Vanessa's heart has never since been filled. And, while Vanessa has great love for both Ed and Lillian, it is also true that she knows about their long-ago indiscretion, and hasn't gone completely without feeling anger over it.

When these three are in the same scene, something happens.

This is strong stuff. It's the stuff good soap opera is made of: characters who we know well reacting to the events in their lives, living with the consequences of their actions over the long term, never forgetting where they've come from, or what they've been through. When Vanessa walked in and saw Ed and Lillian eating together, I felt something. How could I not? Just as Proust's Madeleine dipped into a weak cup of tea conjured up a lifetime of memories, the sight of Vanessa, Ed and Lillian sharing space brought me right back to a time and place when characters, history and continuity really mattered on Guiding Light:

Soap opera is, by definition, all about continuity - the story lines are on-going, characters are established and grow over time, and viewers become invested. Guiding Light - in fact, soap opera as a genre - would not exist if not for a core of long-term, heavily invested viewers who have followed the characters over time. Why, then, has it taken the cancelation of this show to bring these three actors and their characters together on screen? As an ensemble, they pack a wallop. They're all strong actors, who work really well together, and whose characters share rich, significant history. Isn't this exactly what a truly invested soap opera audience tunes in for?

Cheekbones and Pecs

In the future, when students of pop culture, screen writing,and broadcasting look back at this genre (and make no mistake about this - they will) and try to figure out what went wrong, one of the issues they'll undoubtedly bat around is casting. Somewhere along the line, Central Casting decided that the main requirements for landing a role on a soap opera were aesthetic: if someone looked the part, they got it. At some point in time, acting ability took a back seat to great hair, a strong jaw line, and looking great in a tight t-shirt. Combine this with America's cult of youth, and it's a wonder any soap continues to thrive.

This is not to say that there are no talented young actors - E. J. Bonilla has done some excellent work on GL, especially in the last two months. And I'm certainly not saying that no one over 40 can be attractive - GL's present cast is fairly teeming with incredibly talented actors who also happen to be over 40, and great-looking: Maeve Kinkead and Tina Sloan are two of them. What I am saying is that too much of an emphasis has been placed, over the last few years, on youth and beauty, and not enough on good acting and meaty content that actually goes somewhere. Whereas Vanessa and Lillian were once the center of incredibly popular, front-burner story lines, they've been virtually invisible for the last few years. It would be a logical assumption of any new GL viewer to come to that Lillian is pretty much around to help Beth get ready for parties, or that Vanessa is just Dinah's mother, whose main job is to keep Billy from eating too much pie. And Ed? Ed Bauer, who used to be the backbone of the show? He was evicted from Springfield, long ago. A new GL viewer would have no reason to know who Ed Bauer even is. Are you listening, Irna? The Bauers haven't much mattered for a long time, now.

In the last few weeks GL has given us little glimpses of what once made it so great. While I welcome this - I can't imagine having this show go off the air without one last glimpse of Ed or Holly, and I'm glad Lillian finally, finally has an involvement in something other than helping Beth decide what to wear - it makes me sad. Revisiting past greatness is always a mixed bag. In this case, it makes me wonder: what took them so long? Why did TPTB wait until it was too late for any of this to make a difference? I know there have been serious budgetary constraints, but I also know that there exists a group of strong, talented actors who have been associated with GL, all of whom play/played characters who actually have history in and strong connections to Springfield. In the past few years, these actors have been either dropped from contract status, or pitifully underused. I'm talking about:

Tina Sloan

Maeve Kinkead

Liz Keifer

Justin Deas

Michael O'Leary

Peter Simon

Maureen Garrett

Ron Raines

Lisa Brown

Marj Dusay

I'm sure I've missed a few, and I'm sure I'll get emails about who they are.

What About Otalia?

Was it worth it? Did stomping all over what once made this show great, and treating both actors and characters the viewers love as disposable pay off in any way? Has anything been gained by ignoring the importance of continuity in this genre? And, what about Otalia?

I'm not against progress and growth. Nor do I have anything against developing fresh, new story lines and introducing new characters...but they can't stand alone. Not on a soap opera. There have to be connections. When Maureen Bauer died, every single character in Springfield, every single story line on GL, felt the impact. When Holly was raped by Roger, it touched everyone. When 5th Street burned down, no one was left untouched. Continuity. Connection. These things are vital to the success of a soap opera, but the writers of GL seem to have missed this point, time and again. Even in the strongest story line the show has boasted in years - Otalia - writers dropped the continuity ball long ago. In early May, Patrick Erwin finally said what he'd undoubtedly been holding in for a long time: Olivia and Natalia desperately need a one-way ticket out of the storyline island they’ve been stuck on.

And where do we find ourselves with Otalia now, as the show gets closer and closer to winding down for good? Watching a disjointed mess due, in part, to the fact that, without Natalia, there is no Otalia story line. If the writers had taken heed of Patrick Erwin's words, Crystal Chappell might actually have had something interesting and logical to do during Jessica Leccia's maternity leave. Instead, we have this:

Olivia: I just feel like I'm dealing with everything on my own.

Philip: I don't think that's true. You're a huge part of this town. You're connected to everybody.

Olivia: Why do I feel so alone?

Why do you feel so alone, Olivia? It might just be because, when they could have been developing your story line in such a way that made it an integral part of the Guiding Light/Springfield saga, as a whole, the writers were busy with Disneyworld, pretty boys using stolen diamonds no one cares about as an excuse to show off their sculpted bodies, and the inconsequential nonsense of Remy/Christina's marital status. None of that was good or interesting or relevant....but it sure did bring the young and pretty.

© 2009 Lana M. Nieves

Limited Licensing: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the Creative Commons Attribution license, granting distribution of my copyrighted work without making changes, with mandatory attribution to Lana M. Nieves and for non-commercial purposes only. - Lana M. Nieves