To Tell the Truth

I'm starting to think that I've been giving the GUIDING LIGHT of the late 80's a bad rap. My very negative feelings about mid-80's GL remain as they've always been, but the more I see from 1988 and beyond, the more I realize that I may have unfairly lumped together the entire decade beyond Douglas Marland's departure in one heap.

Today's blog entry finds us once again 1988, this time at the tension-filled wedding of Rick and (Fletcher's sister) Meredith. This is a really great clipset for quite a few reasons, not the least of which is the first good look I've been able to provide at Nicolette Goulet's portrayal of Meredith. My first experience with Goulet was a few years ago when SOAPnet reran her tenure as Mary Ryan on RYAN'S HOPE. Goulet is always compared (and always unfavorably) to the original and definitive Mary, Kate Mulgrew (best known as Captain Janeway on STAR TREK: VOYAGER), but I enjoyed Goulet's work on RH quite a lot and I don't think that she was evaluated fairly for what she contributed to the role.

So coming to this clipset as a big fan of Goulet's work, I was thrilled to see how much she'd grown as an actor by the time she got to GL. She sets a really wonderful tone for this story and is incredibly watchable and sympathetic as Meredith hopes against hope that her world isn't crumbling down around her.

This series is also notable for the most vital and interesting use of the Rick Bauer character that I've ever seen (although I suppose the final days of Phillip from 2004 would be in roughly the same league). It's great to see Rick (and Michael O'Leary) really driving story in a meaningful and dramatic way.

To Tell the Truth is a lovely look at the Springfield of this time. Peter Simon shines as always in the role of Ed. Elizabeth Dennehy provides a fascinating glimpse at the beginnings of Blake, including some intriguing hints at the impending reveltion of her Bauerhood. Krista Tesreau is charming and pixieish as Mindy. Maureen, Phillip, Fletcher, Alan-Michael, and many others are all there, as well as Kassie Wesley (before she became a DePaiva) as Chelsea, making this a thoroughly enjoyable and suspenseful set of clips.

To Tell the Truth--
clip 1 , clip 2 , clip 3 , clip 4 , clip 5 , clip 6
clip 7 , clip 8 , clip 9 , clip 10 , clip 11