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Monday, January 12, 2009

GL: Beth and Coop's Surprising Affair

Note: This entry is about Beth and Coop through the January 9th, 2009 episode.

For some unknown reason, I actually like Beth and Coop on Guiding Light. I still haven't come up with a smoking gun explanation, so I figured why not write about it. This is shocking as this is first time in years (maybe ever as a few random scenes from more than a decade ago shouldn't really count), that I've actually liked Beth in a romantic relationship.

One mistake with this plot was that it began off camera and we only got to see a flashback or two to explain how Beth and Coop started seeing each other. GL did a similar thing with Beth/Rick and going further back with Beth/Bill. Was it for shock effect, who knows?

First off, why would Coop and Beth get involved?

1. Coop wanted to join the illustrious club of men who've banged more than one member of the same family. Beth already belonged in the female version of this organization.

2. Coop and Beth saw how happy Buzz and Lillian were together, and figured if their parents were having fun, why can't they?!

3. Beth needed a break from Alan who was going out of his mind. Rick had betrayed her with the lie about Peyton's paternity. So she turned to someone completely new, Coop.

Why this works (at least for me)

1. The conflict. The relations of both Beth and Coop will have a strong reaction to this "thing".

2. Beth and Coop are both single. Yes, Alan is in Beth's life, but she wasn't happy before she started to see Coop. Ashlee had already ended things with Coop, so he wasn't cheating on her to see Beth. Beth and Coop barely interacted after Lizzie and Coop broke up and now they see each other as two adults, who while at different points in their lives have come together.

3. Coop believes in Beth's potential of being a lawyer unlike Alan. Having someone support her in her goals is very attractive.

4. Coop cares about Beth, but doesn't see her as a possession. He "saves" her from Alan in that sense and reminds her of Phillip in some way.

5. Beth likes being someone's muse. She played that role for Phillip, and now is doing the same for Coop.

6. Beth and Coop just happened. Coop was between relationships as Ashlee broke up with him. It wasn't premeditated or about revenge. Beth wasn't wanting to "steal" Ashlee's man or just borrow him for a little fun (which is a big reason why it was a good thing that they shelved the idea of Blake and Coop as it would have made them look both bad in the eyes of some viewers.)

Neither one expected to feel anything, but now that doesn't seem to be the case. Running away together isn't something two people who are having casual sex may do just for grins. Especially since Beth drugged Alan to be able to get away, which is also a sign that Beth should just bail out of her romantic relationship with Alan.

Such an affair between Beth and Coop isn't meant to last. They can't be happy together in the long term. The past should conveniently destroy their present. Alan won't take it lightly to be thrown overboard for a 20-something teacher, who is a Cooper. Lizzie seeing her mom being intimate with her first serious boyfriend won't exactly by a thrill.

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