July 10, 2009
Aww! Today's episode of GL was so adorable. After loads of hype and diligent planning, Bill and Lizzie were all set and ready to get hitched ... And then no one showed up to the chapel thanks to a misprint on the invite! It's a bride's worst nightmare and, in my opinion, a good reason why nobody should plan their wedding without a little extra help. Kudos to GL for throwing viewers a curve ball on this one. It was an episode full of sweet "Bizzie" moments and silly disasters (loved the Twinkie cake they made after the real one was ruined!). The look of horror on Lizzie's face when she read her invite and realized what had happened was priceless. Of course, it was the one wedding planning-related thing she and Bill had made an effort to do together that ultimately sabotaged their big day. Tortured couple till the end! No matter, Dinah saved the day with a surprise gathering of friends and family in a random field for the impromptu nups. Seeing everyone suddenly appear from behind the trees and bushes carrying chairs and potted plants was a little corny but it worked! I can't wait to see the rest of the wedding next week.

May 22, 2009
I loved the impromptu memorial Shayne held for Edmund today. Hearing Reva, Josh, Olivia, Dinah and Jeffrey make a "toast" to the dark prince by listing all his dastardly deeds through the years was funny and a very fitting farewell for the man who spent his time in Springfield (and San Cristobel) basically torturing everyone around him. I also enjoyed seeing Edmund apologize for his mistakes via his time capsule video but glad to see that GL didn't fully redeem him in the end. I'll miss Eddie, as he was arguably Springfield's best villain, but I'll especially miss the awesome talents of David Andrew MacDonald. In the words of Reva Shayne, "I hated him!" — loved to hate him, that is.

April 10, 2009
Kudos to GL Casting Director Rob Decina! Tapping Zack Conroy to play an adorably aged James Spaulding was an awesome move. In fact, when I met Conroy in person down in Orlando last month, I couldn't help but pointing out just how much he looks like his on-screen kin Grant Aleksander (Phillip) and Marcy Rylan (Lizzie). He concurred. "I have heard a lot that I do look like I really could be Beth and Phillip's child so it works!" Conroy also gave me the inside scoop on his background, acting career and how he landed his plum GL role. "I was born in New Hampshire and moved to Connecticut, New Jersey ... I lived in Kansas City for a while," he shares about his childhood. "I played hockey for a long time and I got hurt to the point where I couldn't play anymore and that's what kind of what led me into acting. My manager saw me in a production of Footloose my junior year of high school and he led me into this direction. If he never came around, I'd probably be wearing a suit somewhere in a cubicle! I went to school for business management." As for the rest of his real-life fam, he says, "My dad works on Wall street for an insurance company and my mom is an interior designer. My granddad did some acting, just a little bit and I have a little brother who's starting to get into it too. My parents are like, 'Where did this come from [laughs]?' They're very supportive. My mom's my biggest fan. I knew that I wanted to do this so I gave my self two years and it's been about that." And despite recent word of GL's cancellation, he's thrilled to be in Springfield. "I think it's worked out so far. I couldn't be happier."

February 12, 2009
How awesome is GUIDING LIGHT right now?! I don't know about you, but I'm glued to the screen. From Coop's accident to Beth's emotional meltdown to Phillip and Alan's instantaneous tangling, there is not one plot point currently in play that doesn't have my full attention. If there's one thing that the past few days of GL has shown, it's a serious reminder Justin Deas's (Buzz) tremendous talent. Buzz has spent too long behind the counter of Company, slinging burgers and spouting occasional one-liners. Thank God, the powers-that-be have, albeit under tragic circumstances, finally put this man's on-screen skills to proper use. Wow, can that man can carry a scene! I'd also like to give the writers big kudos for not forgetting to mention all the estranged members of the Cooper clan during this heartbreaking time. Jenna, Harley and Rocky have all been mentioned (or in Jenna's case, actually appeared!). GL is currently on a major upswing in every regard, and I hope it keeps the momentum going for weeks to come.

January 16, 2009
Gross! I don't like seeing GL's Ashlee swoon over Grady! Their little bonding sesh in the bar was, I fear, the first of many. Now that they've made friendly, will Daisy clue in to her BFF's crush? Either way, I'm bored already with this teen trio's storyline (although I do enjoy seeing skeevy Grady working as Doris's henchman). It's especially unfortunate that GL can't find an interesting story of her own for Ash, who used to be one of my favorite characters. Somewhere along the way (I blame her romance with Coop), she lost the spunk, humor and quirkiness that set her apart and gave GL a much-needed funny bone. Ash needs to lighten up and bring fun back to Springfield, but fawning over Grady certainly isn't a good place to start.

January 9, 2009
Happy (belated) New Year! 2008 was a wild year for GUIDING LIGHT and as the show's editor for Soap Opera Digest, I've seen it all — the good, the bad and yes, even the ugly. So, in the spirit of OLTL Editor Lauren Flynn's blog entry listing her "Highlights and Lowlights" of the past year, I've decided to do something similar for GL, from storylines and behind-the-scenes stunners to recasts and ousters. If you haven't already, check out our annual Best and Worst issue (12/16) for more a detailed analysis of what on soaps (including GL) sunk and/or sizzled in '08, but here's my very abbreviated list.

The Good:
•Bringing Jeff Branson on as the new Shayne Lewis. Not only is he downright sexy, but he's an incredible actor who has already brought so much more to the character than any other player before him. Watching his struggle to reconnect to his family also gives us more quality Reva/Josh time, and who doesn't love that?!
•Hallelujah! The Boudreaus are finally back on the front-burner!
•Reva's pregnant and she has cancer! Call me crazy, but I loved this storyline stunner and I hope that it takes off in even more surprising ways as Reva's due date nears.
•Lizzie and Sarah's farewell/Jonathan's brief return. Fantastic acting that tied up loose ends and let Lizzie move on. Plus, it's always fun to see Tom Pelphrey back into the mix. Bravo!
•The absolute best surprise of '08? Two words: Grant Aleksander. Yeah, he's not technically back on the canvas yet, but what a fabulous year-end casting treat for devoted GL viewers! And there's nothing like starting the new year off with the return of a beloved character/actor to help create good buzz (and karma) for the soap.

The Bad:
•The tragic passing of Beverlee McKinsey (ex-Alex).
•Harley's exit. Beth Ehlers' sudden departure aside, Harley is a character with rich history who has tons of Springfield ties— and she needs to be around! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a recast this year.
•Grady/Daisy. I still don't get it.
•Lizzie's kidnapping. Worst. Story. Ever.
•I know I'm in the minority here, but I loved that little manipulative demon seed Will Winslow and I HATED seeing him go. He was a fantastic foil for minister Josh and watching him gradually get under Cassie's skin was incredibly amusing. Plus, he put evil uncle Eddie in a coma! Brilliant!
•Gus's death. I'm still grieving over how badly these scenes were mistreated.
•Ashlee's Lap-Band surgery. GL dropped the ball on this one, big time. What could've been an amazing storyline fizzled fast. It's a shame.

The Ugly:
•Peapack, NJ/GL's new look. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay. The dreaded pond scenes are still atrocious, but I'll admit the rest of the "real" Springfield (including the interiors) have sort of grown on me. When it works, it works spectacularly. Remember the snowy day of Mallet and Marina's botched wedding at Company? Luckily, the weather set the tone and it was awesome. Also, thank goodness the powers-that-be have figured out a way to steady those cams and eliminate background noise (trains, geese, passing cars ... you know you heard them).
•I love me some "Bizzie", but the "tortured couple" storyline is getting tired! They deserve a chance at happiness in '09!
•Lack of vets in front-burner story. I've asked it before and I'll ask it again: Where are they? Alex, Vanessa, Billy, Josh, Lillian and Buzz all deserve more airtime.
•The writers' strike. It sucked and even though everyone suffered, GL did so big time — as it coincided with the launch of the show's new format.
•Ratings. Yikes. Here's to a better '09, ya'll!