Prepare for a riveting journey as we embrace the return of Claudia the Stallion and her intoxicating dynamics with Steven, all while contemplating the dramatic farewell of Joseph Anders. Claudia's enigmatic comeback raises speculations about her mysterious past and potential future plot twists, especially considering her history with mental health challenges. As her storyline unfolds, the contrast between Al Corley and Jack Coleman's portrayals of Steven is dissected, revealing subtle yet impactful differences. Meanwhile, Steven's sexuality becomes a point of contention, with the show's writing under scrutiny for its treatment of this critical aspect of his identity and the broader implications for representation on screen.
As we bid adieu to Lee Berger's Joseph Anders, we reflect on his storied career and his character's unexpected exit after desiring to expand his narrative. From Broadway to sharing the screen with James Dean and memorable appearances in iconic series, we traverse the highs and lows of his journey. We also entertain the what-ifs surrounding Anders' potential story arcs and the evolving family dynamics that we'll never see unfold. Wrapping up with a dash of humor and wisdom, we offer life advice that's as practical as it is amusing—always keep your favorite snacks close, and never underestimate the power of self-care. Stay tuned for our next installment, where we'll dissect the riveting finale of Knots Landing's inaugural season.
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Televisionofyore.com for a blow by blow recap of iconic t.v
Join the Vintage Primetime Soap Opera Social Club on FB
Prepare for a riveting journey as we embrace the return of Claudia the Stallion and her intoxicating dynamics with Steven, all while contemplating the dramatic farewell of Joseph Anders. Claudia's enigmatic comeback raises speculations about her mysterious past and potential future plot twists, especially considering her history with mental health challenges. As her storyline unfolds, the contrast between Al Corley and Jack Coleman's portrayals of Steven is dissected, revealing subtle yet impactful differences. Meanwhile, Steven's sexuality becomes a point of contention, with the show's writing under scrutiny for its treatment of this critical aspect of his identity and the broader implications for representation on screen.
As we bid adieu to Lee Berger's Joseph Anders, we reflect on his storied career and his character's unexpected exit after desiring to expand his narrative. From Broadway to sharing the screen with James Dean and memorable appearances in iconic series, we traverse the highs and lows of his journey. We also entertain the what-ifs surrounding Anders' potential story arcs and the evolving family dynamics that we'll never see unfold. Wrapping up with a dash of humor and wisdom, we offer life advice that's as practical as it is amusing—always keep your favorite snacks close, and never underestimate the power of self-care. Stay tuned for our next installment, where we'll dissect the riveting finale of Knots Landing's inaugural season.
If you love Soaplore, check out
Televisionofyore.com for a blow by blow recap of iconic t.v
Join the Vintage Primetime Soap Opera Social Club on FB
Speaker 1:
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, in my haste to put out the last episode I realized that I left off two major talking points, one that we absolutely can't skim over and the other we need to dive a little deeper into. It is none other than the return of Claudia the Stallion and the white hot heat in chemistry between she and Steven and, of course, the untimely demise of Joseph Anders. Claudia's return is curious to me. I wonder if she went off and made some movies. I've done a little digging. I can't really tell what she did between late 1982 and 1984 when this was shot. But they decided to bring her back. I'm not surprised by this decision, because you can always do so much with someone with a trip to the loony bin. You can play on that later on. We can always hope her psychosis comes back at some point. But I would argue that Claudia is a woman who was pushed to the brink. She was gaslit for many years. She finally snapped. She had a nervous breakdown. She is not in any way criminally or morally insane at all, not even a little bit, but her and new Stephen's chemistry is off the chart.
Speaker 1:
Original actor Al Corley. Allegedly not allegedly he did it in an interview he said that he left season two because Stephen was boring. He never had any fun and I have to agree there was something sort of hound dog sad about original Steven. He was hunched over all the time, not really making any progress. And he has such potential. He's got the same bite.
Speaker 1:
I wouldn't say there's much of a difference between Al Corley and the actor Jack Coleman. They seem to have the same temperament. They look the same. They both play Steven quite similarly. Al Corley had just a little bit more bite but Jack Coleman adds just a tad bit more swag. Steven seems a little bit more sure of himself, but not really. There's not a lot of difference in the way that they play Steven. Just at first glance I do feel like new face.
Speaker 1:
Steven is a little bit too cocky when it comes to Adam and I wonder if Corley would have played him a little bit differently. Seems like he would have been more open. He seemed that's the thing. He seemed more open and willing to any and everyone who came on the show. He was super open with Crystal. He was willing to forgive his mother. He seemed to be a fan he's a fan of Jeff. So when Coleman's Steven comes on his kind of cold shoulder suspicion of Adam is very, very weird, and that's another point. Original Stephen you could see his sensitivity, you could see his sort of vulnerability, but it added to that hound dog. Look on his face. He's constantly very angsty, as where new Stephen seems just a little bit more annoyed.
Speaker 1:
There's also the business of an interview that Al Corley did, where not only did he say that Stephen doesn't really get to do a lot, he'd rather do other projects, but he was really tired of the flip-flop in his sexuality. I would have to agree it not only feels like the writers did not understand how to write a gay character, but the fact that he would come out of the closet at least every time he went in that library. It seemed like from season one, episode one, he was out and proud, he was not ashamed, there was not a struggle within himself. He's like okay, this is who I am, I'm not ashamed of this, though this is what it is. He comes out again on season two and there's tears. The family is like pretending like it's this really poignant turning point of a moment. But I'm like we've already been here, done that there was a whole murder trial in behind this exact same thing. So it's weird that they would have him proclaim so boldly that he is an unapologetic, proud gay man and then promptly put him in a bed with hookers in Stanley, cho or Claudia. It's like he'd come out and then he'd sleep with a woman. He'd come out and then he'd sleep with two or three women. Now here's the thing the writers are creating confusion, not from the character's point of view, if that makes any sense. Stephen is not confused about who he is. The writers are throwing it out there. So the audience is like, okay, well, me in 2024, 2023, as I'm watching this, do you not know that people are bi? But the more I think about it, this smells a lot like a say it with me class token.
Speaker 1:
The writers never had any intention of diving into his character through the lens of him being a gay man. They simply needed a conflict between father and son. And on a soap opera. I mean, soap operas are not meant to imitate life accurately. It is an over-exaggerated caricature of who people really are. So it's almost as if they already had the story points written down.
Speaker 1:
But in 1980, 1981, 1982, due to the things coming out in the media the AIDS pandemic coming out. It's almost as if they're like okay, let's make sure that we keep this show current, let's make sure our pulse is on pop culture and current culture. We'll make one of the characters gay, but not really. He'll say he's gay and then we're going to have him sleep with every woman on the show, which is? It falls into the soap opera formula perfectly, but it doesn't really make much sense. Especially, I'm going to agree with Corley when they just they do it so frequently.
Speaker 1:
It's that whole token trope. You know you have the. Okay, let's meet our social quota. Is there one black Check Is? Is there one black Check? Is there one gay Check? Is there a chubby girl or guy Check? Is there an elderly person Check? Now that we've got that, let's go. Let's pretend that it doesn't mean anything unless it's in the news. Then we'll throw it into the story. It's that kind of thing. We see that on TV today. It is what it is. It doesn't upset me at all. Like I think I've counted three or four Black people on the show so far. I think there was a. Was there a judge one time and a waiter. It is what it is.
Speaker 1:
But with Steven in particular, I understand why they had to recast him. The kid was bored, which I totally get, and you know what I'm saying. He's probably just annoyed with the writing. He went on to do his thing. He did a little directing, then acted in about 14 other projects and moved on with his life and left Stephen in the dust. But Jack Coleman, let's ooh the chemistry. Be that as it may, with the flip-flopping, his sexuality due to the writing, not his own, not him exploring anything. New Stephen, new face, steven. The chemistry is good. I fully believe that she would be attracted to him. He knew what he was doing. Now will this turn into anything? No, uh, probably. I mean there's a trial coming up, so I guess you'd have to work that into it, lord. I don't know. I don't know. But that's it, that's all for them. I just can't believe I left that part out.
Speaker 1:
I'm happy Claudia is back. I do want to see more of the stallion. For those of you new to listening, I refer to her as Claudia the stallion because there was an episode on season one. Same episode she slept with Stevenven. I believe.
Speaker 1:
She sneaks out to this nightclub and she's got on those those sandy candy mules from greece. She's down to the disco. She has herself a good night. The men are looking at her. She has on a freakum dress and I'm like I like the wild stallion out here man-eating version of claudia versus the little docile lamb of a mouse. We don't need that anymore. That's what got her put into the sanitarium or the no, that would be dallas into the loony bin on this show. Come out, embrace that crazy, turn it up a notch. We haven't seen her in several episodes. I'm assuming she had other projects to work on. Which brings us to the man of the hour, joseph Anders.
Speaker 1:
In the same fashion as Michael Ranson, eric Phillips and Shania Linda Giaberti, we are now required to eulogize the late great Joseph Anders, disappearing forevermore from the halls of Dynasty on season four. Anders disappearing forevermore from the halls of Dynasty on season four. Joseph Anders, the man who turned doing the bare minimum into an art form, has finally clocked out. For over four decades, joseph graced the halls of the Carrington Manor with his unique brand of frosty hostility, ensuring that the temperature in any room was always a few degrees below comfortable. A master at delegation, joseph's greatest achievement was securing a paycheck for perfecting the art of looking busy while doing spectacularly little. His disdain for wives was legendary, matched only by his uncanny ability to make every guest feel like they were part of the rather than party patrons. Joseph's legacy will be remembered in the chilly halls of the Carrington Manor and awkward silences at dinner parties for years to come.
Speaker 1:
Joseph's loyalty to Blake Carrington was as unwavering as it was mystifying, akin to a moth loyally fluttering to a flame, albeit a flame decked out with rage issues and designer suits, but a flame nonetheless. Joseph raised blake's children with a firm hand, ensuring their transition from bratty toddlers to entitled adults was as seamless as possible. His loyalty was rivaled only by his legendary snark, which he wielded with the precision of a maestro. The only thing sharper than his tongue was his undying disdain for Alexis Carrington Colby, a woman who could turn any shade thrown at her into a fashion statement, a connoisseur of secrets and a maestro of ex-wife.
Speaker 1:
Dragging Joseph's absence will leave a void that no amount of whispered gossip can fill. He leaves behind a legacy of shade a daughter named Kirby, a son-in-law named Jeff, a parade of maids who might just be wearing veils and sunglasses indoors, not to shield their eyes from the sun but to hide their smizing and uncomfortable smirks. With the joy of his demise. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, soap lorists and soap fiends alike, raise your glass and tip your head. We toast to Joseph Anders, the legendary shade thrower. May your snark live on in the hallowed house of a Carrington estate. Rest in sardonic frost, my friend. However, will we move on? Lost the real one? Rest in frost, joseph. You stiff sumbitch Told you at the top of the other show that there was a little bit of tea.
Speaker 1:
So Lee Brigere, who I think that's how you say his last name, brigere, sorry if that's wrong was doing mighty fine. He lived through three seasons, sort of being in the periphery or in the background most of the time. You started to see a little bit more screen time with him once Alexis got on the show and it was very clear that he was loyal to Blake and he was so stoic and snarky that I think like he's giving off Liam Neeson. I don't know what he's thinking, I don't know what his past is, but the door is kind of wide open. Then on season three, of course, they bring out this daughter, kirby.
Speaker 1:
So Leigh Brashear goes to the writers, goes to the team and he says hey, I'd like a little more to do, please. I think I can handle it. You know, let's, let's do more. He's walking around thinking everything is sweet. He's made it through seasons one, two and three. Several people didn't.
Speaker 1:
He's there, he's not a problem. He's not difficult to work with. Imagine his surprise when he reads the script at the beginning at the table sitting for or the table reading for, season four, and it is quickly noticeable that, hmm, I'm not okay. I'm not really in this episode much. Okay, that's fair. He's not really in every single episode heavily Okay.
Speaker 1:
Episode two Now wait a minute. Okay, wait, wait. What's going on? There's a lot of Kirby. I see a lot of Jeff. What's going on? There's a lot of Kirby, I see a lot of Jeff. What's going on?
Speaker 1:
Episode three Boom, oh, it's like that. I wanted more to do. When they told me to literally drop dead. Wow, that's how you do your boy. He felt incredibly disrespected. So, as time goes on, et interviews him and they ask him why he left the show. This guy proves that he has a sense of humor. He just starts saying why, why, why, basically mocking Blake's last scene with him. Yeah, they basically okay, you want more? We'll give you something. Matter of fact. We'll give you so much to to do, you'll be too busy to do with here. I had to do a little more digging because I was like that's just not good enough. Dang, they just did him like that. He wasn't super happy about it, but I mean he survived.
Speaker 1:
I found a few different opinions. I can't actually say these are facts. I just don't know, but apparently and allegedly, they were doing audience polling back in the day and they asked who was their least favorite character on Dynasty and of course it was Joseph. That's not necessarily a bad thing to be the least favorite. Actually it is. To be the least favorite means that people don't like you, not because your character is doing something interesting, they just don't like you. You're just stiff, boring, weird. If they hate you, that's better, so long as they hate your character. That means you are ruffling the right feathers. You're getting under people's skin. They're going to tune in to see what you do and they're going to love to hate you a la JR. What you do and they're gonna love to hate you a la JR.
Speaker 1:
I'm totally team Lee here, because when you look at the setup for season four, you think about Kobe's bring. Kobe Kirby is there. There's this whole dynamic between he and her. Now that she is, she's no longer his, just his daughter. Now she's part of the family that he serves. It changes their dynamic and that builds so much tension. That's a good storyline, them trying to navigate all that. But then you know, they're bringing up her mysterious mother, who we still don't know who she is.
Speaker 1:
I hope this is a strong enough character to replace Joseph, because even though he was in the periphery for most of the show, he was not to be trifled. Him being the the, not butler, almost disrespecting him. Sorry, he's not a butler, he is a major domo. Him being the major domo, he has all the secrets, all the tea. He basically runs the household. That could get really messy. I'm hoping for like a murder mystery at some point, but he's gone off the show. So I thought I'd look into his background just a little bit to see who is this man before. Who was this man before his untimely demise on one of the greatest shows of all time? Oh, it's a hot take, all right.
Speaker 1:
Lee was born April 10th 1918. Making him an Aries started acting on Broadway right around age 18, and that seemed to be par for the course for actors back then Not the young ones, of course, of course, but there's a lot of thespians on Falcon Crest and people really honed their acting chops. It doesn't seem like they were finding people off the streets as much back in the day. But yeah, he starred on Broadway for many, many moons until he decided he wanted to jump on TV a little bit. He, that dream time. His TV debut was right alongside none other than one of the most famous names in all of cinematic history, james Dean. He came out the gate swinging. He was also on the Addams Family, the Munsters god. I used to love that show. I used to love when Herman Munster wanted his pancakes. Every day was so was so good. I loved him.
Speaker 1:
He played Abe Lincoln in Star Trek. Listen, stop what you're doing right now. Please Google Leigh Regier. Abe Lincoln, star Trek. It is one of the most horrific things I've ever seen. It is a terrifying image of him, terrifying. It's like a fever dream of Madame Tussauds wax museum. It was horrible.
Speaker 1:
Aside from those very serious roles he had, he did a lot of comedy. He was in a show called Kentucky Jones. He was on Get Smart, my Favorite Martian, all in the Family, wkrp, cincinnati. I think I sung that a little wrong. And then in his first and apparently only leading role on a sitcom, he was on this show called it's called Hotel Baltimore, but the way it's spelled it looks like Hot L Baltimore, as if the neon sign blew out the letter E. So he was in that. That was very short-lived. If I can dig up an episode or two, I'll definitely watch it.
Speaker 1:
He also appears on a little show I think you may have heard of it called Falcon Crest. Oh, my goodness, I am so ready for the crossovers. This is so good to me. So we have Philip Erickson from Falcon Crest as Mr Store on Dallas. We have Mark Jennings as one of the cowboys who was trying to take Sue Ellen home for a little gang fun Y'all remember that On Dallas. And now we have Lee Brazier, aka Joseph Anders, aka the Walking Corpse, making a special appearance on Falcon Press at some point. I clearly haven't seen him just yet.
Speaker 1:
It seems like he always had you know sort of bit roles, like a lot of them, and he stopped acting altogether circa 1989, right about the time that this show ended. So it's like why didn't y'all just keep him on? We could have made him scandalous. I would have loved a Joseph storyline where he flips on Blake, starts selling his secrets, becomes like really snarky, becomes Perez Hilton, you know what I mean. Start to blog, then he has like a Wendy Williams talk show. Would be amazing.
Speaker 1:
One thing that stands out, though, was this guy looked exactly the same his whole life. It's like he was born seven feet tall, stiff as a corpse, but if you look at his body of work, it looks like he was actually quite funny. I was looking at some of his photos and he's smiling and I'm like, oh my god, he never smiled on the show. So that's it. That's all. That's how he ends up kicked off the show, not because he pissed somebody off, not because he gave a horrible interview, but because he went to the writers. Mano y mano asked them to their face like a man for more screen time.
Speaker 1:
He's clearly got the acting chops, but they were like nah, nobody likes you, joseph. Goodbye, all right, y'all. That's enough of me. Jaw jack. Next episode. We're going to go ahead and plow through the rest of season one Nods Landing. Until then, keep your friends close, your enemies closer, your mouth shut, apparently, or you'll be kicked off your favorite show and your toast closest. Stay moisturized, hydrated, mind your own business and keep all of your drama on tape, and I'll see you next time. Thank you, bye.