In this entry, I am going to write about my thoughts on the first disc of soapclassics.com As the World Turns release.
Episode One: June 1, 1983
The marriage of Tom and Margo played by Justin Deas and Margaret Colin. If you watched ATWT in its later years and saw this Tom and Margo it would feel so different. Tom and Margo seemed wild and quirky. In real life, Justin and Margaret are still married, there was a new photo of them together in Soap Opera Weekly in the last six months. To get the guests to their wedding, they tricked almost everyone to go to the park. Her mother Lyla (Anna Sward) was giving herself a perm that day, so she came in curlers for example. Annie Stewart (the mother of quads) got to spend the day without the kids and was covered in paint. A good portion of the episode focused on life in Oakdale that had nothing to do with the wedding. Steve (Frank Runyeon) and Betsy (Meg Ryan) ran into each other and shared a meal. She remembered their time in Spain, which included a flashback to them playing Heart and Soul on the piano. Meanwhile her grandma Ellen (Patricia Bruder) and David (Henderson Forsythe) talked about how they knew that Betsy’s husband Craig (Scott Bryce) was sterile, and not the father of Betsy’s fetus. Betsy went to see her grandmother, and we have no idea if Ellen spilled the news to her that day. Also we had John Dixon (Larry Brygmann) saying goodbye to Dee, his former wife, whom he had a complicated relationship with (it included a rape trial, which I wish we could see as it sounds interesting, though that was before they kept recordings of ATWT unfortunately.) Kirk McColl played by Christian LeBlanc (whom is presently Michael on Y&R) was in jail. His sister Diana played by Kim Johnston (who was Ivy on Passions) bailed him out on bond. What was strange was in this episode and the 1984 one, Eileen Fulton wasn’t playing Lisa, but Betsy von Furstenberg was. Lisa was involved with Diana and Kirk’s father Whit. Barbara (Colleen Zenk) was also at the wedding, and I was so confused as David Forsyth (aka Another World’s John Hudson was her limo driver…huh?) No clue about how significant the character was, but seeing people who are familiar amuses me. Unfortunately, this episode had no opening or closing credits.
Episode Two: May 31, 1984
The marriage of Steve and Betsy played by Frank Runyeon and Meg Ryan. Very soon after this episode aired, Meg Ryan left ATWT. The ceremony seemed to be a Greek Orthodox one, which I am only guessing from having seen later soap episodes that had weddings from that denomination. Craig was out of the picture at this point, and Steve and Betsy knew the baby with his and her name is Dani. In the 90s, an all grown up Dani was part of the program. Steve has a cousin named Frank, who was part of the wedding. At this time, Kim was married into Steve’s family so her son Andy was part of the events. Elsewhere Lyla and her sister Maggie (a character who was in episodes one through three that I had no familiarity with) talked about Craig. Lyla felt like she let her son down and at the prison Lyla and Craig had a tearful reunion with glass between them. That scene was extremely emotional and a huge contrast to the wedding. There was also danger lurking in Oakdale as there was a hit out Steve. There was scenes between Mac McCloskey and an informant, who was trying to keep Frank and the others safe. This episode had full closing credits, but lacked opening credits. Steve and Betsy’s song the change in me is you played as scenes from the wedding were shown.
Episode Three: April 12, 1985
The wedding of Kim and Bob played by Kathryn Hays and Don Hastings. Bob’s sister Penny played by Rosemary Prinz came to visit, as did his brother Don (Conrad Fowkes). There was an amusing part where John and Lyla as former love interests of Kim and Bob spoke about the wedding until John annoyed Lyla and she walked away from him. At this time, Frank and Maggie were faking problems due to the gambling ring. Julianne Moore’s Frannie was there, but wasn’t part of the wedding even though she’s family. Barbara, Margo (Hillary Bailey Smith aka Nora on One Life to Live), and Ellen were in the bridal party. Also on this episode were Lucy Deakins as Lily. Elizabeth Hubbard’s Lucinda Walsh along with Finn Carter’s Sierra were on as well. This was early in Craig and Sierra’s romantic relationship, and before Sierra knew she was Lucinda’s daughter. This episode had full closing credits, but no opening. The song you make me feel so young played in the background over the closing.
Episode Four: January 12, 1998
The wedding of Lily and Holden played by Martha Byrne and Jon Hensley. This was not Lily and Holden’s first wedding, but at that time Heather Rattray played Lily. This ceremony took place while Lily was pregnant. At the time, Holden led on Molly (Leslie Kay) and told her they would be wed. Holden was with Molly because she was protecting him from prosecution. Lisa tried to keep her away from the ceremony, but failed. Kirk ended up putting her in a closet, but Carly freed her after Lily and Holden said, “I do.” Otherwise, Camille and Ben were flirting and Lewis who was faking paralysis got himself into her apartment. He started to attack her as the show closed. Barbara and John were still reeling from the dead of their son, which was born way too soon. John had a scene with his boy with Iva, MJ while a sad Barbara looked at them. This episode had full opening and closing credits.
Episode Five: July 3, 2003
The wedding of Carly and Jack played by Maura West and Michael Park. This was their second ceremony and took place in Montana. Sara Ramirez from Grey’s Anatomy played Hannah who performed the wedding in Native American tradition. Craig, Roseanna, Molly, Katie, Mike, Parker and Sage were in attendance. (At this point, Craig was Hunt Block and Roseanna was Cady McClain) Each person gave them a blessing with the exception of Sage being an infant. Back in Oakdale, Rose and Lily were in a well, and Holden and Dusty went looking for them. Margo got help and a lead from Susan, about Dan’s old hunting lodge. A story about a drunken bear on the Stewart property was shared. Rose was able to escape the well, but she was caught by a man who was involved in the kidnapping. The episode ended with Carly telling Jack, that he and not Mike was Sage’s biological father. This episode had full opening and closing credits.
Those were the highlights of the first ATWT disk. While I wasn’t familiar with all the characters and the stories I was left wanting for more, which is what I like to see when I watch a DVD collection of featured episodes.
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