The juxtaposition between these two scenes, 16 years apart, are so interesting to me:
Here's the way it happened for me. I was not in the room watching Tv when the rape episode started. In those days, there were no previews, and storylines were protected and kept truly secret. How they did that I don't know, but they did. That episode began and the dramatic music got my attention. My reaction was revulsion. I thought, "Well, that's the end of Luke." In those days, an act like that would have signaled the end of a character. I was really upset because of the act and also because I thought that Luke was the most fascinating character that I had ever seen on a soap. He was complex, emotional, and passionate. Tony delivered the underdog so well. We felt his pain. It was visceral. So, even though the act was despicable, the man was not.
Was it necessary to re-write? Ultimately, I think the audience would have accepted Luke without it. Look at Sonny Corinthos. What about other characters who committed horrible deeds but remained. Luke went over the edge a few times. That sailboat scene was probably necessary from a storyline point of view. It happened at the beginning of the summer, and they were preparing the runaway LHB story. They had to give Laura a reason to run away with Luke. That rape had to turn into some kind of love affair and the marital unfaithful slip on the sailboat made her decide to leave her husband when the opportunity came.
I thought the scenes after the sailboat seduction were extremely well done. Luke had moved Laura along and proven to her that she wanted him. The acting was superb on the boat after the others caught up with them. This period of time was must-watch TV. People of all ages interrupted their days to watch this story unfold on TV. Don't forget, VHS technology was not invented yet, and if you missed an episode, it was devastating!
As the years went by, so many writers and producers got to put their mark on these characters. Some were more successful than others. Ultimately, it was the chemistry between Tony and Genie that sent it into the history books.
The sailboat seduction happened after L&L were getting popular. So audiences were already accepting them without the rewrite, no?
How did you feel back then my friend? Did you have trouble rooting for them in the months between the rape and the sailboat scene?
Also the most problematic scene, where Laura said they made love that night, came after the Left Handed Boy adventure, during the Sticky Doors Era. Luke and Laura were a national sensation by then. There was no point of even bringing it up at that point.
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