I just saw the finale of the Laura Storyline!! (Episode #191)

[EmeraldRose]

  WOW!!!  I'm SO excited!!    This was the BEST episode so far in the show - thrilling!!   

[spoiler]Liz finally woke up, and knew what was going on.  And Josette once again helped Vicki by telling her David was in the fishing shack.  Vicki and Liz were fighting with Laura for David's life and soul!  The fire looked very realistic, too.[/spoiler]

I was crying with excitement when I watched the show.    Although this was the first time I  actually watched this storyline, I pretty much knew what was going to happen anyway.    BUT, WATCHING it is much different from simply READING about it! 

It took a while for this storyline to take off, but when it DID, it was GREAT!   

One more thing about this storyline...  [spoiler]I noticed a very familiar soap-opera ploy was used when poor Dr. Guthrie was killed by Laura.  He just HAD to tell Laura what he knew about her!  He was ASKING to get killed!  Too bad the writers had to do that.  I like Dr. Guthrie.[/spoiler]

Next, I will be watching the episodes which set-up the appearance of Barnabas.  Soon, I will be able to say I watched ALL of the pre-Barnabas episodes!  HOORAY!   

----- Sally ----- [/size]
 

[michael c]

i'm glad you enjoyed these episodes emeraldrose...i loved them too.the final scene at the fishing shack was awsome!it was vicki,david and laura at thier best.

keep your eyes peeled for that fishing shack.it shows up again in a totally different context.

[ProfStokes]

[spoiler]The fire looked very realistic, too.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Yes, they set a real fire at the studio for that.  At Festivals, Diana Millay has mentioned that, when you see the burning beam falling in front of her, it was not a prop; that was an actual part of the set that really did catch fire.  [/spoiler]

I'm glad you enjoyed these episodes.    The Laura storyline is my personal favorite, and I truly believe it was DS at its best.

ProfStokes

[dom]

This scene in this episode is my first vivid memory of the show as a child; When it was just a show that my sister and her girlfriends watched. I happened to be passing through the living room and caught a glimpse of the TV: I was mesmerized!; Never saw anything like it on TV before (or since, probably) and it made absolutely no sense to me out of context. ...But I never forgot it, it was truely unforgettable.

Of course I was chased out of the living room the moment I started asking questions, lol.

It wasn't until after Petofi arrived in 1897 that I started watching the show on a regular basis.

It was something else seeing this scene some twenty-odd years later and understanding it completely while at the same time, going through my memory of the first time I saw it all those years ago. It was a great moment.

I really enjoy the pre-1975 storylines and have a big soft spot for the B&W episodes. The introduction of Laura is one of my favorite moments in the series. Classic top-notch soap stuff, IMHO.

[Gothick]

That finall episode really is DS at its best. The pacing of it is wonderful.  In the later years, they often messed up the climactic episode of a storyline.

However, *my* favorite part of the end of the Laura storyline is the episode where Liz returns to Collinwood and she and Roger have a private talk in her bedroom.  I saw this again a few months back and it made me realize just how much the show lost when Liz and Roger's relationship was reduced to a little packet of wooden cliches.

G.

[michael c]

gothick, i agree completely with what you're saying about roger and liz and thier talk.the show does lose alot when moments like this disappear.but i'm a little confused.this seems to be somewhat at odds with recent posts.when the topic came up asking if one prefered the earlier,character-driven episodes as opposed to the later monster-themed stories you expressed a clear preference for the latter.and isn't leviathan your favorite story?

please don't take this question the wrong way....i'm just genuinely curious .

[Sandor]

The first Laura storyline also redeemed little David, who had started out in the show as such a rotten brat, a la "The Bad Seed." It also gave Vicki a chance to play heroine versus victim, and cemented the bond between governess and charge.  Was glad when Laura came back later in the series - you could tell Diana Millay loved playing that part.