TELEVISION: Guiding Light – Doris for the Win!

wedding

“I am here to solemnize the wedding of Frank Cooper and Natalia Rivera.” Wow, solemnize…that’s what every girl dreams of when she thinks about how her wedding day will be described. What a sexy word!! Mayor Doris Wolfe, played brilliantly by the fabulous Orlagh Cassidy, ends up offering to officiate the wedding and does so with style. Hey Orlagh, call me, we’ll do lunch…I’ll wear a hat! Doris is my star for the majority of this episode. I would imagine she feels that she can throw the odds in her new friend Olivia’s favor by oh, I don’t know, speaking of the virtues of marriage and how it is not to be taken lightly or rushed into lightly. Doris gives the “is there any reason you shouldn’t be married” schpeal to Frank and Natalia when suddenly Olivia bursts out with a “NO…body objects right?” causing a laugh throughout the church and further tormenting me. Crystal Chappell may be a Goddess but she’s pushing me right up to the edge of insanity too. I’m jittery and starting to talk to myself, it isn’t pretty.

Doris continues her rant about the sanctity of marriage and how love is never doing what’s expected (watch out Frank…anvil dropping), it endures all, it shouldn’t be entered into thoughtlessly or out of a sense of convenience (oops, another anvil). She’s peppering her every word with enough not so subtle messages trying to shine a guiding light (sorry, I couldn’t resist) over Natalia to lead her out of this deep fog she seems to be lost in. Doris is my hero today. She even fakes a phone call that forces her to stop the wedding! I’m impressed by what an incredible friend she is trying to be to Olivia by attempting to help her do what she refuses to herself…stop Natalia from making the biggest mistake of her life by marring a man she doesn’t love.

While waiting for Doris to return, Natalia lights a candle looking for answers when Frank approaches and he asks if she’s making a wish. Just a heads up Frank, Catholics don’t make wishes in church, we pray. Wishes are made on a shooting star, not lighting a candle in a house of worship! Was that too mean? That being said, Natalia explains she’s thinking of a passage from the Book of Ruth concerning the sanctity of marriage and how it’s one of her favorites. Reading from the Book of Ruth is a very iconic scripture to reference. It is a traditional reading often-used in Catholic weddings.

“And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, [or] to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people [shall be] my people, and thy God my God:” Ruth 1:17 “Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, [if ought] but death part thee and me.”

But for many, it’s a direct reference or one might say homage to the very same quote used in the beloved movie “Fried Green Tomatoes” where Ruth, trapped in an abusive, loveless marriage, sends Idgie a clipping of the very same scripture as code for come get me the hell outta here! It should have been a big anvil for Frank but once again he doesn’t get it or he doesn’t want to see it even though he questions Natalia’s reason for thinking about that particular prayer. He’s Frank he really can’t help it! Maybe someone should send him a copy of the movie?

Even though Doris pleads with Olivia to fight for her woman, to go out there and stop Natalia from making the biggest mistake of her life, Olivia tearfully convinces her to return to the front of the church and finish the ceremony. Doris begrudgingly agrees. Marina sings a lovely song but for me it was there just to waste a little time and set up a wide shot of Daisy and James flirty text exchange in the middle of a doomed wedding. I actually liked the playfulness of their flirting. It broke up a tense scene and was some much needed comic relief during a week of anvils dropping, torturous confessions, heart’s being thrown into wood chippers…concussions. Thank God it’s the weekend people cuz I need more than one drink, hell the first few rounds are on me!

Can I just say that I adore Emma (Jackie Tsirkin)! Having her read Corinthians was poignant and beautiful for me. It’s actually a favorite of mine. (Yes, I’m the sap that cries at weddings.) Natalia tells Emma she loves her with the look of a dotting mother proud of daughter’s big moment and looks to Olivia who is equally proud of her beautiful daughter. Emma replies with “I love you!” right back to Natalia, equally proud of her own accomplishment. She’s cute as a button!

Now we get to the vows. Ok, I realize people will send hate mail for saying this but I’m going to anyway. Hearing Frank’s vows drove me a little crazy. He was genuine and sincere but if I hear him call Natalia baby one more time I may punch him…in the face…hard. I take a boxing techniques class, I may be small but I know how to throw a punch! Ok, I wouldn’t actually punch him. I’m a pacifist and I actually really like Frank. Back in his leather jacket wearing days I really dug him. Today, however, I’m just frustrated and anxious and still have a crazy big knot on my head and major headache from blacking out Wednesday. It really hurt people, it really did!

Frank cracks a joke about kissing Natalia now but Doris shuts him down (Love her!). Now it’s Natalia’s turn. She thanks Frank then Olivia hands Natalia Franks ring telling her it will give her the strength that her ring gives to him. Their hands touch and I died a little on the inside. Natalia begins to recite what getting married means to her, that God must really love her to bless her with all of this; that God is love (hello sister Anne) and that you can feel what God feels because it’s a direct gift from God which makes it so special. Natalia states that she feels love and that she wants to devote her life to Frank and give her heart to him by standing there in the church in front of all of their friends and family and God…wait, God? She can’t do it. She can’t stand there in front of God and lie to him by pledging her love and devotion to someone she doesn’t want to marry when the one person she truly loves is standing on the other side of her suffering silently. Natalia didn’t actually say all of that but it was implied because she stops dead in her tracks and makes a B line for the door, shocking the hell out of everyone. Can I just say HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, HA LLE LU JAH!!!!

Olivia runs after Natalia leaving a gob smacked Frank and church full or befuddled friends and family. But really, most of them shouldn’t be all that surprised. Olivia did already tell most of them she had feelings for Natalia weeks ago. We are left with the final moments of the show where once again Guiding Light leads me into a love trap. Olivia runs after Natalia, she’s outside the church and it’s been snowing. She searches the church grounds, which are now covered in several feet of snow. Olivia spots Natalia standing in the gazebo…of love and we’re left with the two of them standing there staring at each not really knowing what to say. I would have been fine if I had just left well enough alone but I realized the previews for Friday were posted and of course had to immediately look. The girls pick back up where they left off Thursday, standing in the gazebo; only this time Olivia is screaming at Natalia trying to convince her that she actually can marry Frank but Natalia blurts out that she can’t because surprise, surprise…she doesn’t love him, she loves Olivia!

Thud….clear…[paddles shock me]…clear [paddles shock me again]…flat line…Guiding Light you’ve succeeded, I am now officially dead.

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Final Grade: A+

10 Comments

  1. tiffany, you have officially driven me giggle fits. you described pretty much all my emotions throughout this episode. we're finishing each other's thoughts, before you know it we'll be sitting on the couch fighting over the remote in matching jogging suits like an old mar…

    anyway, where was i? oh yes. the episode. i only had to pause the DVR twice yesterday to yell at the screen, once when frank asked if natalia was making a wish (he really is the most clueless catholic on the planet, isn't he? she's lighting a candle you moron not dancing around like jimminey cricket.) and finally when natalia said "i want to pledge my life to you" (which elicited a "WTF? THIS IS SO WRONG! YOU KNOW THIS IS SO WRONG! STOP HURTING HIM!" and i don't even like frank…)

    as for the preview, natalia's blurted confession seems to mirror olivia's quite nicely. and it also feels like the much needed ending of a conversation they had after the FoD. while standing in the kitchen confessing that she slept with frank to olivia, natalia turned and said "i slept with frank and i don't know why. i don't love him…" there always felt to me that natalia wasn't finished with that statement. and today, she's gonna tie it up in a nice little bow.

    1. Wow. You've nicely encapsulated everything I'd thought for the past week. Tears, heartache with the odd bit of humour put in there. I had tears rolling down after today's episode as well, despite Natalia's declaration of love for Olivia. I soooo understand we're they are coming from. And I love that usage of the passage from the Book of Ruth. Makes me want to put "Fried Green Tomatoes" in the dvd player this evening (one of my all-time favourites).

  2. Excellent write up! I'm just now getting up from being dead, too. GL has got it going on all 12 cylinders!

  3. I want to comment intelligently on the above, but the truth is Otalia has me so emotionally and physically drained this week, that I'm incapable of writing anything that could possibly make any sense! All I can say is, thank you for the wonderful write up. And not wanting to sound like an Oscar speech, I'd also like to thank CC, JL, FD, EW, and Jill Lorie Hurst for the incredible storyline. WOW!!!!!!!!!!

  4. I can't believe I missed out Doris in my praise….see what Otalia has done to me?!! She has been amazing this week and I hope we get to see a lot more of her in the future. I take my hat off to her :-))

  5. Disgusting and revolting. Bending a grand old soap opera to a sick way of life. I have no tolerance to that kind of a life style. Shame, Shame.

  6. Tiffany N. D'Emidio

    I have no time for your intolerance. If you don't like it turn the channel and move on.

    1. amen to that it's a new age and now a days you see more non boy and girl couples for example All my children did it with Maggie and Bianca "BAM" and now Bianca is with someone else named Reese even though I still root for BAM lol Now we have Otalia hopefully Natalia makes the right decision and dumps frank for Olivia. I mean if she doesn't want to hurt him she could just say listen I'm comfortable living with Olivia and Emma they are my family I don't want to leave that there fore I can't marry you

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  8. ROFL! Okay, I feel like I was just watching the episode again! It's certainly become one of my GL faves … ranking right up their with Olivia's graveyard confession, naturally, and the hospital 'near-smooch'. What Guiding Light is doing is groundbreaking and touching. It is so refreshing to see a wider spectrum of life represented on daytime TV — particularly in such an intelligent, romantic, and tender manner. Thanks again, TIffany, for making me life! You are a riot!

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