Let's get the bad out of the way right at the top: no clips or retrospective?It would have been nice to have a montage of past Guiding Light characters. After all, the show has been on TV since 1952, so why not take a little trip down video memory lane? It was fun to see all of the openings they've used over the decades at the start of the show (in reverse order), but it would have been good to see something at the end of the show to bookend it instead of a "The End" and then a commercial and the Tele-Next logo. Seemed kinda odd.
However, that didn't ruin the episode itself, which turned out to be everything that GL fans could have wanted and more.
How should a TV show end after so many years? Fans want to see a happy ending, everything wrapped up in a nice bow. Others might want to see a more "realistic" ending, just another episode so it doesn't all seem forced. Guiding Light went the latter route for the finale (we already got the realism with Alan dying earlier this week), and you know what? Forced was just fine.
I've been watching the show for 30 years, and I didn't have the patience for any kind of "creative" or "edgy" ending. Besides the wrap up of all of the plots that had been spinning for the past few months (except one, which I'll get to in a minute), the show fast forwarded a year, to show us where the characters will be. This turned out to be a masterstroke. Instead of everyone remaining pregnant on the show, we saw the actual children after a year. Instead of the people who left town staying out of the picture forever, like Daisy and Rafe, we saw them return from school and the military and join everyone at the big park party. We saw Bill and Lizzie with child, Frank and Blake together, Mallet and Dinah still on the run in Europe (but together and happy), and (most satisfying of all) Mindy and Rick engaged! That's not just satisfying to longtime fans, it's perfection.
And whoever had the idea to bring back Fletcher Reade (Jay Hammer) so he could take Alex on an around-the world trip...that person deserves a bonus of some kind. That was fantastic. (And I like how he and Bill talked about missing Ben but didn't dwell on it because fans hated that whole storyline.) More kudos to the writers for bringing Ed and Holly together again in the previous episode.
There was only one plot that seemed a bit up in the air, but looking back at the episode before we kinda know what happened. Jeffrey never did catch Edmund. Instead, Edmund said that they were both alike, and what Jeffrey liked was "the chase." I guess that's why Jeffrey's life is going to be now, a constant chase to protect his family. I guess Jonathan will keep this secret forever now that Josh and Reva are together again.
It's really odd that the longest-running TV show is ending. It really is a big part of history that's dying (and I don't want to hear from people who think soaps are "stupid"). If the show had to end, I'm glad they went out with happiness and closure and not the way most shows go out. Guiding Light might be gone but you get the feeling that Springfield lives on.
Now CBS...how about a box set of every episode ever made? I don't care what it costs, I'd buy it.
(This episode will be here on SlashControl later today.)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-18-2009 @ 3:01PM
Owloo said...
remember back in the 80's when Floyd had that nightclub and the B-52's came to Springfield
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffB2rqz4HfQ
I haven't watched the Guiding Light since the 80's but I did tape the last episode to watch later tonight :'(
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9-18-2009 @ 4:01PM
Shannon Ser said...
It wasn't Floyd, it was Hamp, the sax player.
9-18-2009 @ 4:42PM
Owloo said...
In the 90's Hamp co-owned the nightclub the blue moon with Fletcher Reade and he also co-owned the night club heartbreakers with Billy Lewis
I am talking about the nightclub Wired for Sound which Floyd Parker owned and in 1982 the B-52's guest starred on the Guiding Light to perform two of there songs in the nightclub
9-18-2009 @ 3:04PM
Carrie said...
I am so happy they had Reva and Josh driving off into the sunset! I know it sounds crazy but, I think I married my husband because our storyline fit with theirs. I grew up with Guiding Light and I really can't believe it's over.
I thought Jeffery thing was weird, I almost wish he was shot in the episode before just for the tidy ending.
Vanessa wasn't at the park was she? I thought Lizzy would have been at her parents wedding too.
Overall, I'm glad they gave us a happy ending. I just can't believe after watching something 5 days a week for 25 years it will be gone.
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9-18-2009 @ 4:07PM
rjbtrdx said...
I can't believe they just sort of shined Jeffrey on. I think that they should have started an ending for him and Reva a month ago so we could see him happy today too. He was around as long as many of the other characters.
But I am glad about Josh and Reva. Though they looked very squished in that truck.
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9-18-2009 @ 4:20PM
Kathy said...
I am very upset that my favorite soap opera, Guilding Light; that I have been watching for 47 years went of the air. They did have some nice happy endings; but us viewers did not want Guilding Light to end. We will never know what happened to Jeffrey and Edmund and Dina and Mallot; sure it showed them in the last episode happy, but where do they go from here. And what about Harley; she never came back. What happened to her??? I want Guilding Light back!!!
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9-18-2009 @ 5:34PM
Maggie said...
Endings, schmendings, I wanted a recap of Josh & Reva and one last chance to see the Slut Of Springfield speech again (as who didn't?). Considering the cheesy production values over the past year and the lowered budgets -- shooting outside on handheld cameras, no wardrobe, no good interiors -- I'm just sorry that when CBS bailed some cable channel didn't offer producer Ellen Wheeler a chance to roll the show over to another venue. When all was said and done, it was the characters that held our interest, not the sets or costumes.
But I do love that they ended as we had all hoped, with Reva and Bud driving off "into the sunset," and even channeling the Late Great H.B. with that vintage truck. And the lighthouse shots took us back to the glory days.
Requiem in pace, GL.
Maggie
9-18-2009 @ 7:31PM
Dee said...
I first started watching Guiding Light with my mother & grandmother in the 70's. Roger Thorpe, Leslie & Mike Bauer, Bert Bauer. Now that was classic soap opera ! I think the worst mistake the show made was killing off Maureen Bauer. I watched the show sporadically after that. I'm glad to hear that the show ended on an upbeat note as opposed to how Another World ended. Come on ! the cast dancing with a gorilla to "Get up offa that thang ?!"
I hope other shows learn something from the cancellation of Guiding Light. Stick to what you know and stop hiring young kids that can't act. I'd rather see the "veterans" any day of the week.
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9-18-2009 @ 5:34PM
Diane said...
I am really upset about the Guiding Light being over. I am 52 years old and have watched this soap since I was a little girl. I watched it with my mother, God rest her soul. The Guiding Light always reminded me of my mom when I watched it...I would sit back and feel like she was there with me during each episode. It's almost as if a part of my life, along with my deceased mother, is gone.
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9-18-2009 @ 10:11PM
Sheila said...
I feel. EXACTLY the same as you. My mom died in 1980, this would have really upset her (but so would the Natalia/Olivia situation
9-18-2009 @ 11:38PM
Bonnie said...
I, too, have been a fan of "The Guiding Light" since I was a girl and now at 52 I still had enjoyed it. The past few weeks have brought back so many memories. But, the last show was just right. I was wondering how the writers were going to end this and I feel like it was just about perfect. I would of liked to have Philip mention Alan-Michael and Amanda at Alan's service. It was good to see Rick and Mindy getting married too. I will surely miss this show.
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9-18-2009 @ 8:33PM
birminghamdawg said...
I, too, grew up on GL, but had watched sporadically the last ten years or so. Began watching this week, and was happy to see the old timers back. When I saw Fletcher's hat, I was thrilled. To have Rick and Mindy, I screamed! Great endings for all. When I read it was ending afew months back, I immediately emailed a longtime friend and said, "They better get Josh and Reva back together!" Thanks to the writers for remembering the history.
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9-18-2009 @ 8:49PM
Robynn said...
I am so sad that Guiding Light is over. But I have to admit that the ending wasn't that bad. I LOVED seeing Fletcher Reed again. I literally gasped when he walked in the door and the response from Alex was perfect. Even Alan dying was appropriate and had me tearing up at the funeral. I've watched this show for 30 years and I am going to miss my friends in Springfield. I've been in love with the characters of Philip and Rick since they came on the show and I remember Mike Bauer singing on every Christmas episode. I agree that a retrospective would have been nice, but Reva and Josh driving off in HB's truck was pretty good. I'll miss you Guiding Light. I feel like I've lost a friend.
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9-18-2009 @ 9:07PM
E Martin said...
I have been watching Guiding Light for 40 years.
My Mother is gone 20 years now and we used to watch
it together.Those our some of my best memories.
I must say I was happy to see alot of the
storylines today,especially Frank finding"Blake".
The Jeffery/Reva/Josh Storyline does leave me scratching
my Head.Did not feel any closure on the Jeffrey side.
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9-18-2009 @ 9:48PM
Donna said...
The soap is still great as far as I am concerned, I like the fact that they made it seem more real. Look at the other soaps. People are always cooped up in rooms and you know it is a set. I love the outdoors. It is great to see the snow, the slush the rain, the flowers the fields, anything and everything that makes it a real town. It was great to finally see a real pool at the Bauer BBQ. I was tired of that little square kiddie pool. To see people spread out over a real back yard instead of crowded onto a little stage area. Who cares that the scenes were not perfect, it isn't supposed to be. Real life has many imperfections. Like we don't have trash cans, or fences that need mending? Like none of us ever sweat? I will miss this soap, I have been watching for 56 years I have seen so many actors come and go. Watched so many characters die on the show and in real life. I will miss this soap so much, it is like these actors and actresses are part of an extended family. I will miss them a lot. I think CBS and P&G should have continued it. It should at least have lasted through the baby boomer generation. We grew up with this soap. It obviously was creating history. To take a soap off of the air because a few people may have made some complaints is wrong. Many of us have been watching for years and while we may not like the way a story goes at any given moment does not mean that it should come off the air. Many of the older viewers do not have computers or the inclination to write to you, but I am. The Babyboomer generation is quite a large population, I believe you just did not get the proper feedback. Actually it should have been ATWT that you took off. Without Martha Byrne it is not the same. I will not be watching anything but the B&B and Y&R, when they end for the day I will not even watch ATWT, which I only watched as a lead in to the GL. I have no desire to watch another game show so that leaves out Let's Make A Deal, the remakes are never as good anyway. I don't care for those stupid talk shows. So that leaves me with time to spare every afternoon, a time that had been taken up by the GL since I was in the second grade. Such a shame. Hopefully someone will realize that they made a mistake and maybe go back to a monthly special, or an every 6 month special, or even a yearly special. I mean they are just leaving us hanging. And letting Alan die was the pits. He does something selfless and then he dies. Find a way to somehow keep it going, PLEASE. I have been a fan of CBS since I could watch t.v. I Remember Mama, I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, to name a few. Soaps such as Love of Life, Search For Tomorrow, The Edge of Night, when they were on CBS. So you can see I have been watching CBS for a very, very long time. the only time I watch another network is when the sports shows are on on the weekend. I have watched your network cancel many shows, some without warning. Such as Nash Bridges, JAG, The Guardian was much better than the Mentalist. Some shows go off in May never to be seen or heard of again. That is so unfair to the viewers. I am not going to say I will stop watching CBS because I will not. I watch all CSIs, NCIS, The Ghost Whisperer, Cold Case, all the comedies on Monday and Wednesday night, Criminal Minds, Numbers. I am a total CBS fan. I just feel that you messed up in canceling GL. You have cancelled a special part of the day for many of us. Remember that most likely for everyone person that wrote in there are probably at least 10 more that do not use computers because of their age, so therefore you did not get their feedback. We love You GL. Thank You, to the cast and all the crew for performing for us all these years, and for providing us with such wonderful entertainment for so many years. For many of us THE LIGHT WILL NEVER GO OUT
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9-19-2009 @ 12:56AM
amy said...
It seems like all it took for everyone in Springfield to remain happy was for Alan to die. ;) Actually, I thought that was well played...I teared up when the wedding crowd toasted him and think the actor did a great job and I cried when Philip found him and I've never ever been an Alan fan. I've been watching for 13 years...pulled out when they messed with Harley and Gus because they were one of my all-time favorite soap couples, and also the whole Josh/Reva's sister (whose name escapes me!) creeped me out...came back to see the end. Wondered about Alan's other kids though...they could've at least mentioned them at the funeral. Really happy that they brought some of the former staples back. Good job overall.
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9-19-2009 @ 1:03AM
amy said...
Here's a tribute:
http://www.soapcentral.com/gl/news/2009/0831-tributevideo.php
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9-19-2009 @ 5:24PM
Greg Andrew said...
It was a good ending for most of the characters, but really didn't do justice to its entire history; it was a wrap-up to the show Gail Kobe and Pam Long revamped GL into in the early 80s. While I realize that Ed and Holly hadn't been regular characters in a while, Peter Simon and Maureen Garrett were on GL before anyone else in the current cast and should've been part of the final show, and more importantly, there should have been been a Bauer scene paying one last tribute to Bert Bauer (Charita Bauer)
That being said, I've seen a lot of final episodes of soap opera (The Doctors, Texas, Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow, Ryan's Hope, Capitol, Santa Barbara, Another World), and this was definitely one of the better ones. The producers managed to bring back virtually every character I thought they needed to and could except Alan-Michael.
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9-20-2009 @ 4:02AM
Jojee said...
I agree. I would have like to have seen Alan-Michael and Harley back, at least for the last show. Also a really good 2-hour retrospective. I think the show at the very lease deserved that.
9-19-2009 @ 10:54PM
Libby said...
What a nice, thoughtful review. I too have watched for 30 years, and found the ending very satifying. Box set? Why YESSSS! How cool would it be to re-watch Holly, Roger, Beth and Phillip Rick and Mindy back in high school? Relive the old days when you're home sick from work? Get on it CBS! Or at least provide them on iTunes!
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