Hello there, Shay! Thank you for your immersive, engaging reply! Quite enjoyable! All of what you’ve written makes perfect sense. My thoughts on some of your expert, analytical points follow:

I agree that certain characters should have been mentioned. At some point, Laura and/or Bobbie should have mentioned Luke. At some point, Felicia should have mentioned Frisco. At some point, Bobbie should have mentioned Tony. Considering that Luke was (for TPTB) the franchise for decades, to omit him seems unseemly. Granted, I am not such a fan of the actor, given what later emerged about his relationship with Genie vis-a-vis the GH brass, etc. But, geez, throw a bone to the man who, according to the writers, saved Port Charles from a deep freeze!!!

Second, I have to admire you for your impassioned, reasoned defense of Monica. I am a huge fan myself. And the fact that she is still featured (on occasion) is an incredible gift to the viewer: longtime and otherwise. I read somewhere, “Let he who is without sin….” Her tally of partners won’t get her in the Guinness Book of World Records, compared with others. As we know, Lesley just can’t help herself…

Lastly, thank you for alerting me to that GH In Memoriam video. I think I found it (close to 24 minutes, I think). It was mesmerizing but stupefying, as I also found countless actors et al I don’t ever remember seeing on screen. I think that the roles for some were very short-term. I did, of course, recognize others. And these are just the ones known to have passed. God bless them all…

Thanks again, Shay, and take care!

Thanks for your kind words, Shay! Just a quick note. Your memory is quite good, particularly with soap history! And you remembered my basic GH tenure, so to speak. I did see the original Monica, Patsy Rahn, when she first arrived on GH, along with Jeff Weber (Richard Dean Anderson) as part of the new husband/wife intern program. You didn’t miss anything from Monica’s early history that would forever brand her the way Lesley forever brands her! Your idea for how Monica should have treated Lucy when presented with Alan’s handkerchief is brilliant!

With regard to anniversary episodes in general, there have been countless times I have been disappointed, mainly for reasons we’ve been discussing: none or not enough clips, omissions of certain characters, inclusion of certain characters, etc. And fan response varies, as we see here. Best to you!

Hello Reed! Your thoughtful note is most appreciated! Glad that Shay and I were able to spark some GH memories for you. Thankfully, I am doing well. I hope you and your loved ones are doing well, also. (Same goes for you, Shay, if you’re reading.) I haven’t posted in quite some time, but I had to reply to you, Friend. You have gone out of your way to send kind words to me here, not just today, but several times over the years, and it means more to me than I could express. So thank you again, and please take care.

Hello Reed!

Thank you for the link to earlier exchanges. I have saved links to certain threads/exchanges that have uplifted me, and those with you are among those. Despite my best efforts, I will admit that, at times, I have been long-winded, off-topic, too personal, judgmental, and perhaps offensive to some (when I discuss a certain GH character I do not like). I’m not looking for anyone to disagree with me here, as I know my own faults…

As I’ve mentioned, my favorite GH days are in the rear-view mirror. Like Shay, I keep up with what’s going on, but I don’t really watch at all. I basically gave up in 2005, but then returned on occasion when something interesting was happening or when a fan favorite was returning — Laura anyone? So you are right about me “picking” my “spots.” I am honestly thrilled that you “still enjoy GH thoroughly,” and I concede that there is much to enjoy. I hope you continue to enjoy and receive pleasure from the show!

After 2005, I sampled Y&R, B&B, and DOOL, all for years. I’ve given up on all of them, except DOOL. But with the wrap-up of certain storylines and the firing of certain actors, my interest there is waning, too. I still look in on this site on occasion (although until you reached out to me, that hadn’t happened in a while). And, again, Reed, thank you for doing so because you nudged me into fondly remembering some of the wonderful people here, including yourself.

Please continue to stay safe and be well. Your humble and appreciative “pen pal!”

Hey there, Reed!

Okay, time for some “passion and exasperation”: You’re paying $110+/Mo to Comcast?!?!?! I am paying more than twice that! I need to talk with a customer service rep ASAP…

I certainly do remember the “Dean” nickname. That was thoughtful of you. Again, I am not worthy…

I haven’t embraced any of the extra streaming services as yet. Just Netflix briefly to catch the reboot (Season 1) of Lost in Space, my favorite TV show as a kid. I know there is a Season 2 available, but I am dragging my feet, awaiting DVD release (which happened with Season 1 on Netflix). I am definitely old-school (and, well, relatively, “old”), as I prefer something I can hold (DVDs and CDs). I continue to purchase and play CDs and make my CD compilations. It’s what I play whilst driving. So I haven’t signed up for Disney, Hulu, Apple, etc., and I’m not sure that will change. But since I’m overpaying for Comcast (still smarts!), I can’t afford springing for other streaming services I may use only sparingly.

I am sorry to disappoint you with my GH viewing update. But I admire you for being such a cheerleader for the show. They are lucky to have you! Not only as a viewer but also as a promoter!

I also admire you for intelligence — you make a much more appropriate “Dean” than myself. I admire you for your passion, insights, and, clearly on display in this thread and others, your empathetic and welcoming nature. Keep it up, Reed, and take care.

Hello Shay!

Thanks so much for your letter! It has brightened my day immeasurably! I detailed my status of soap viewing in my response to Reed, just DOOL, for now…

But more importantly, you have outlined the great and most satisfying thing about this site: the terrific people, the insightful commentary, and the exchanges with our “friends.”

We have all had to make adjustments, to say the least, with the crisis. I consider myself lucky, but my heart aches for those who are not well, those who have lost so much (including loved ones), those who are less fortunate…

So-called “Gentleman James” is a dog with a bone when it comes to GH Sonny. For what it’s worth, I’m not enamoured with DOOL Sonny either. Whereas the former is an abusive, murderous thug (I could go on and on, and you, Reed, and everyone else knows that), the latter character is too good to be true and just not very believable or relatable, and as a rule, I certainly champion any portrayal of gays in this medium.

I’m glad to hear that you still visit this site (as do I) to stay informed. I still do even though my posts are sporadic. But with you and Reed these last few days, I am back in the saddle. And it feels great to reconnect with you! Shay, please continue to stay safe and be well! Take care.

Shay, thanks a million for your reply! So gratified to hear that you are managing well and “enjoying life’s simple pleasures.” I think those “simple pleasures” are now at the forefront for many of us: one silver lining in all this madness. I’ve also enjoyed staying in touch with friends, including you and Reed here. I also care about other friends here, as I know you do.

Re: DOOL Sonny. I may have been too harsh. He’s definitely a good guy, and I’d take him over the GH Sonny any day. (Of course, I would take ANYONE over the GH Sonny….) Your idea for the Sonny swap is ideal, as a new Sonny on GH could become part of a triangle with Lucas and Brad and the new Sonny on DOOL would be forced to share screen time with all the other villains on that show. Further, GH showcasing pre-Sonny episodes is a good one, indeed. Despite all the forays into mediocrity and absurdity, GH does have a rich, vibrant, engrossing history. There was a time when the show had adventure, romance, and a moral center!

Best to you, Shay, and thanks again for being such a day-brightener!

Hello, Reed! Thank you for your kind response! Hope you are doing well, especially given the current circumstances. I have to admit that I was a bit mystified when I initially saw your reply from such an old thread in my inbox, but what a delightful surprise! Furthermore, I’m glad that “Gentleman James’ ” and my vivid recollections provided you so much enjoyment, although I must confess that many of my references came not so much from original “back in the day” viewing….My era was the ‘80’s! I actually caught up on many of those ‘70’s GH episodes online—(YouTube” is your friend!….)—in order to flesh out my limited understanding of the history of the Scotty-Laura relationship from its budding stages, which also included getting acquainted with the early sagas of Leslie, Rick, Jeff, Heather, Bobbie, Luke, Alan and yes, Monica!!!! I won’t rehash my conversations with James, yet suffice to say that the decades-long reputation of Dr. Webber/Quartermaine as some sort of evil uber-vixen just really confused me, hence my long, drawn-out posts with the VERY well-informed James. And for the record, I was ultimately convinced that Monica was really not the whorish woman of yore which she has long been portrayed, but a lusty lady whose greatest romantic liaisons were primarily fueled by her (albeit conflicted) heart and not her nether regions (ala Alexis!) She truly loved BOTH Rick and Alan, just often simultaneously! (Lol…) At any rate, it was quite personally gratifying to finally put that old fallacy to rest once and for all!!!! As for today’s GH, Reed??? Ahhh….I’ve been “socially-distancing” from the show since late last year, so my impressions of its recently past and present happenings are mostly limited to what I read here at MFTV—which in and of itself is often far more pleasurable than watching the soap, considering the “cast of characters” who graces this website!!!! Anyway, I thank you for your thoughtful message and send you my best! Take care and stay safe, Reed!!!! Oh, and don’t be such a stranger!!!!

You did just fine, Reed…Message received! (And most appreciated!) I do vaguely recall mentioning my penchant for heavy-bond cream-colored stationery with embossed monogram—-Hmmmm…Is that too “Hyacinth Bou-quet?— even if I do not remember the specifics of said conversation. (I have enough trouble keeping up with the current threads….) But thank you for the kind words, just the same! As for our dear Patrick, I always enjoy his creatively idiosyncratic writings, most particularly when they are deliciously naughty!!! To say the least, his posts are usually quite thought-provoking and often highly-entertaining…hence I wouldn’t deign to change a thing!!! MFTV wouldn’t be the same without his extremely individualized expositions of disdain…and yes, plaudits, too, on all things soap-related!!! (Hey, I’m totally for free expression as long as no one is injured in the process!!!) At any rate, as I have already told James, I’m so far departed from present-day GH—save for what I read here—that the only prayer of my actually tuning in again would be for replays of classic episodes from my favorite era….the ‘80’s! It would be sooo cool to relive those halcyon years of yore with supercouples of the past and the fantastic, high-production value adventures upon which they embarked way back when! Beyond that, my interest in the happenings of Port Charles is pretty much exhausted, although it’s still a kick to visit “Fairmanville” to see what everyone is saying! However, I admire your own optimism for the current quarantine situation possibly providing a means of boosting soap ratings and hopes for their future survival. Never say never, Reed! Later, my friend!