One Life To Live
Storyline Histories

1988
Melinda and Donald Lamarr; Mari Lynn's trial
As 1988 opened, Melinda Cramer was enlisting the help of her neice Cassie Callison and friend Jon Russell in infiltrating the Mountainview Clinic to search for evidence that would implicate the evil Dr. Donald Lamarr (Jared Martin) in the murder of mob kingpin Alex Crown. Melinda's plan was to feign insanity (for, as a Cramer woman, she had plenty of experience!). Once admitted to the Clinic, she'd dig up the information she needed. Cassie at first was afraid to let her Aunt Melinda go through with the dangerous scheme, but eventually she relented. Melinda was nearly killed in a psychotic experiment conducted by Lamarr, but she somehow escaped and went to tell the cops.

Lamarr snapped and attacked Lee Halpern Sanders, when she learned he was the killer. As he leaned over a scantily-clad Lee on the bed of a hotel room, Lee's daughter Mari Lynn stepped into the room. She screamed at Lamarr to get off of her mother and then pulled a gun on him. As she pulled the trigger, Lamarr threw Lee's body in front of his, and she took the bullet. Mari Lynn had killed her own mother, but only because of Lamarr's evil actions.

Mari Lynn went on trial for the crime, pleading that it was Lamarr who was to blame, not her. Melinda and Jon decided to stage an incident in court that would prove Lamarr's guilt. While he was on the stand, a man who bore a striking resemblance to dead mob kingpin Alex Crown (Roy Thinnes) stepped into the courtroom. Lamarr freaked and attacked the man, who was actually just a cop in disguise. This was enough to prove Lamarr's guilt and Mari Lynn was freed.

Viki and Clint go back in time 100 years (February 1988)
Clint was spending his days at the family ranch in Arizona, still trying to adapt to life without sight. One day, saddling up his horse, Clint decided to go for a ride on the range. But little did he know that his horse had been drugged by evil ranchhand George, who wanted Clint to take a fatal fall. His ruse worked partly: the horse bucked, throwing Clint off. He came down hard on the ground, smashing his head painfully against a rock. When he came to, Clint discovered two amazing things. First - his horse was gone and nowhere in sight. Second, speaking of sight, Clint was shocked to realize he could see! His blindness was gone! But the problem remained that he had no idea which direction would bring him back to the Happyhorse ranch. Still rejoicing at this "miracle," Clint plodded off in the direction he thought he'd come.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he found. Clint literally stepped into the dusty old cowboy town of Buchanan City, in the middle of a showdown between two of the town's residents. One of the combatants bore a striking similarity to his own father Asa! When Clint had recovered from his shock, he learned the truth. He was no longer in the year 1988 - rather, it was 1888. He had stepped through a fissure in time and was now conversing with his long-dead ancestors! (And how many times has this happened to us?)

While Clint began to settle into life in the good ol' Old West, he met some interesting characters. There was Blaize, the fiery redhead ... and Virginia Lord (Miss Ginny) who was the spitting image of his dearly beloved wife Victoria! Indeed, Ginny was Viki's great-great grandmother, and a woman in conflict.

Meanwhile, a century ahead in time, Viki and the rest of the Buchanans were getting scared: Clint had been gone from the ranch for days and no one had heard from him. When his horse, his cane and his glasses-for-the-blind were found deserted in the middle of the desert, Viki feared the worst had happened. Calling in Clint's brother for emotional support, Bo Buchanan (Robert S. Woods) returned from Vietnam, were he had spent some time searching for missing POWs. Bo was without his latest wife Didi O'Neill. According to Bo, they had divorced some time ago.

Viki, ignoring the advice of her family, struck out into the desert in a search for her husband. She too, happened to step into the wrinkle in time, and found herself in the same town Clint was becoming a part of. As she wandered through "Buchanan City" she was shocked to stumble upon Clint in the saloon - readying to marry her ancestor Ginny! Needless to say, Clint did not go through with the wedding. The Old West shenanigans continued for weeks, as Viki and Ginny came to be good friends. Ginny and Clint nearly shared a romance, but Clint stuck by his real wife. Yet many in town wanted newcomer Clint dead, most notably the sheriff Buck (who happened to look like Asa). Ginny warned Viki and Clint that they had to ride back through time, for if Clint were killed in 1888, that would mean the future would be irrevokably changed. Sharing a bittersweet goodbye with Miss Ginny, Viki and Clint took their leave and rode back into the desert, searching for the time warp. They found it guarded by an old Indian, Clear Eyes, who warned them to hold fast to each other, so they would make the journey together.

Viki and Clint's unconscious bodies were found in the desert in 1988 and they were rushed to the nearest hospital, where they had a glorious reunion in a hospital corridor. Clint had regained and retained his vision and they had survived the ordeal together. Clint was shocked to find his nurse, Brenda McGillis (Brenda Brock) bore an amazing resemblance to one of the Old West folk! Brenda, in fact, followed Clint and Viki back to Llanview, where she accepted a job nursing at Llanview Hospital. Meanwhile, Viki and Clint were unsure what to make of their adventure; in the end, Viki wrote it off as a fantastic dream.

"I Tina, take thee Cord, um... er... I mean, Max!"
Max and Tina were combing the world searching for the son that had been kidnapped from her at birth. They journeyed from the jungles of the Amazon to a convent in Milan, Italy, where at last their journey came to an end. The little child lay in swaddling clothes, attended to by nuns, who had named him Milagro - "miracle child" Tina and Max, dressed as a nun and a monk, enlisted the help of a retarded convent worker to retrieve the little boy. Then, with Tina rejoicing the long overdue reunion, she and Max returned to Llanview with the little "bambino." Not long after, she and Cord renamed the child CJ - Clinton James Roberts - after Cord's father.

CJ's return brought Cord and Tina closer once more, even though she and Max were readying to be wed. Tina tried to deny her feelings for her ex-husband, but on the day of her wedding, in front of hundreds of gathered friends and family, Tina made her famous blunder. While repeating the minister's vows, she said, "I, Tina Clayton, take thee Cord ..." Her voice trailed off and as the guests began to whisper nervously, she quickly added, "er, Max." Horrified, Max called the wedding off right then and there. Later, heartbroken and humiliated, Max made love to Gabrielle Medina in her apartment at the Holden Towers. This was not a good thing, because Gabrielle was currently married to Max's brother Steve, who lay like a vegetable in a coma after having been hit over the head with a poker by evil ranchhand George. Later, that night would be used as a weapon against Max when Gabrielle was on trial (see 1989).

Tina's blunder, however, had proven to Cord just how much they still loved each other. But there were obstacles for the couple to overcome; in particular, one gigantic obstacle that came in the form of Cord's Uncle "Bo."

Bo ... or not Bo ... that is the question
Bo Buchanan's return should have been a joyous one. After all, Clint had been found in the desert, and seemed to be 100% healthy now. Yet Bo seemed somehow different to the Buchanan family. The family was shocked when he was able to perform an emergency tracheotomy on Viki after she nearly choked on the some food. He refused to discuss his "ex-wife" Didi, and even began exhibiting totally out-of-character romantic tendencies for his neice Tina. Tina, reeling from her mistake at the alter, was particularly susceptible to Bo's sudden charm. One night, they even made love (editor's note: ugh!).

But wait ... suddenly, the scene shifts to the English countryside, where a man and woman are being held captive in a barn by a masked figure. They turn slowly around to reveal the faces of ... Bo and Didi (Barbara Treutelaar)! Then, another captive is shoved into the room and her mask is yanked off. It was Delila Garretson (Shelly Burch), Rafe's wife and Bo's ex-wife! As it turned out, Bo and Didi had been kidnapped shortly after they'd left Llanview awhile ago; Delila had likewise been apprehended by the kidnappers as she stepped out of a taxi in London. But why? Bo, Didi and Delila were horrified to learn that the "Bo" currently in Llanview was none other than the evil Patrick London, who'd had plastic surgery to look just like Bo!

The three captives were shipped back to America - even back to Llanview - where they were kept in a hidden room in the basement of Stonecrest, a gigantic mansion owned by billionaire Henry Leighton and his charming daughter Joanna (Roma Downey). As it turned out, the Patrick London conspiracy was much greater than originally surmised: it encompassed Asa Buchanan's business rival, Elizabeth Sanders, Henry Leighton and a pyschotic woman by the name of Ursula Blackwell (Jill Larson), who stood watch over Bo, Didi and Delila.

But the Buchanans were completely convinced by Faux-Bo: after all, he looked like Bo, he sounded like Bo - who else could he be? Tina was shocked to discover her one-night stand with Bo had resulted in a pregnancy - she was now carrying his child/grandneice or nephew!

Patrick London's plot began to unravel when Bo, Didi and Delila got restless. They were sick of their accomodations - a small room underground, where they were constantly being viewed via a one-way mirror. They nearly escaped several times - once they beat up one of their captors, but before they got out, ran into Joanna Leighton. Joanna was shocked to find the three prisoners beneath her house, but for some reason or another, refused to free them immediately, saying she'd be back later. Later turned out to be never, however. Realizing that with each passing moment, Patrick London was living his life, Bo and his ladies decided to make a break - which they did. Bursting out of their cell, the trio made it to a trap door behind a fireplace, and forced their way out. As it turned out, they emerged on a giant party that was being held at Stonecrest. Trying to make their way throught the crowd, naturally the guests began to freak. Didi and Delila were especially the focus of attention. Of course, when people began to realize that there were two "Bo"s standing in the room, it quickly became mayhem.

Patrick London, realizing his scheme was up, kidnapped Didi and dragged her out of the house, where he threw her in his car and tore out of the place before anyone could react. In the days that followed, between filling his family in on his whereabouts the past few years, Bo searched high and low for Patrick and Didi. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Sanders put her part of the plan into effect. Luring Asa, Cord and Clint to Stonecrest, she had the place sealed up from outside. Literally - iron doors banged shut across all the windows and exits in the mansion. Then, a poisonous gas slowly seeped through the ductwork. As Asa and Clint collapsed to the ground, quickly choking to death, Rafe Garretson saved the day with a well-placed bomb to the living room wall. The three were saved.

Patrick contacted Bo several days later and arranged a meeting at a local carnival. Bo arrived and shortly later, so did Patrick, who was pointing a gun at Didi's side. The two men (with identical faces) spilled their guts to each other and Bo ordered Didi's release. Patrick complied, shoving Didi toward Bo, but then he pulled his gun and aimed at Bo's heart. With a shout of warning, Didi threw herself into Patrick, knocking his gunshot off target and propelling both of them into an electric fence (which just happened to be on). All in all, it was a gruesome scene: Patrick and Didi locked in a death grip, with Didi's eyes bulging from their sockets. Screaming, Bo tried to pull her away from Patrick, but the electric field was too strong. Bo rushed to a lever and pulled it, cutting the circuit. Didi and Patrick dropped to the ground.

Patrick was pronounced dead on the spot, while Didi was rushed to the hospital. But Larry Wolek was unable to help her; Didi and Bo shared a few moments together; she made him promise to move on with his life. Then she was gone. Later, at the funeral, Bo was surprised when his ex-lover (and mother of his son), Becky Lee (Mary Gordon Murray) came to pay her respect.

Delila and Rafe, however, shared a glowing reunion as they worked to repair their marriage.

Ursula, Tina and The Lighthouse
About this time, Ursula Blackwell went completely batty. Always unstable, she had secretly been in love with Patrick London all along. His death caused her last cookie to crumble, and she became suddenly concerned with Patrick's legacy: the unborn child Tina Roberts was carrying. Afraid that Tina would abort the baby, she decided to make sure Tina never got a chance to do so. She kidnapped her and dragged her via boat to her home: a lighthouse off the coast of New Jersey, where she had also imprisoned her handicapped, wheelchair-ridden father Cornelius. Ursula informed Tina, with a gun pointed at her head, that she would be her guest for the next nine months; until Patrick's baby was delivered alive and well. Tina, naturally, was scared out of her mind. Not only was she pregnant with the child of the evil Patrick London, but now she was imprisoned in a lighthouse with a looney woman and her crippled father.

But, never to fear, Cord and Rafe teamed up to rescue Tina. They tracked her down to the lighthouse and arrived on a dark and stormy night. With lightning flashing and thunder roaring, Cord and Rafe snuck into the lighthouse and up the creaky stairs to the top, where Ursula had finally lost it and was readying to kill Tina. Rafe and Cord burst in, Ursula swiveled the gun at them and was about to fire when Cornelius sped across the floor in his wheelchair and plowed into Ursula. He ended up being shot. The force of the bullet sent his wheelchair soaring toward the window of the lighthouse, where Tina was standing. The two collided and, in a shower of glass, fell from the lighthouse to the sandy beach below. Ursula's father was dead; his body had softened Tina's fall. Tina miscarried, to her relief, and was back to her scheming self in no time. Ursula, meanwhile, was shuttled off to the looney bin. But that was not the last we heard of her...

After her near-death, Cord and Tina began to find their way back to each other. Without Max or Patrick London or Ursula in their way, they planned to be married as soon as possible.

Cassie and Jon ... Mari Lynn and Wade
Cassie and Jon were quite involved when she began having feelings again for her ex-husband, Rob Coronal. She found herself torn between them. Jon and Rob, of course, became bitter enemies.

Meanwhile, Mari Lynn Dennison and Wade Coleman were readying to marry. After suffering the ordeal of accidentally killing her mother, Mari Lynn ignored her father's protests and, at the young age of twenty, married her first love. At their reception at Llanfair, Jon and Rob duked it out over Cassie. Cassie eventually dumped both of them and tried to move on with her life. Mari Lynn and Wade were married the next day, and began a short but eventful marriage.

However, Cassie found herself drawn once more to Rob. They began to reunite, when a major obstacle presented itself: Rob's ex-lover, the beautiful siren Joanna Leighton, who quickly came between them. Cassie accused Rob of still loving Joanna and later found them kissing. Rob begged her forgiveness and then, in a surprise move, proposed marriage. Cassie thought about it long and hard and turned him down. She couldn't risk being hurt again she said. Then she packed up her bags and left town to visit her mother in the European country of Mendorra (see 1990)

Arrival of Megan Gordon
Max Holden had just decided to move on with his life without Gabrielle when a snooty young woman by the name of Megan Gordon (Jessica Tuck) strolled into the Holden Towers hotel. Megan was a soap star and was scoping out the hotel for a possible location shoot. Max and Megan hated each other at first sight - she thought he was scum on the bottom of her shoe, he thought she was a self-righteous snob. But Megan's sister Sarah Gordon tried her best to get the couple friendly with each other. As it turned out, Max and Megan became more than just friends - their mutual hatred turned into passionate love, even as Gabrielle and Megan's job threatened to tear them apart.

Here come the brides ... here comes the bomb...
It was time for a marriage ... two, to be exact. Asa Buchanan and Renee Divine decided to tie the knot with Tina and Cord in a double-ring ceremony. Ursula decided to emerge once more to finish off Tina once and for all. This time, her plan was flawless (or so it seemed). Acting as though she were an old friend of her father's, Ursula moved in to Mari Lynn and Wade's home for a few weeks (The newlyweds just happened to live in the carriage house at Llanfair). Ursula watched as Tina planned her upcoming marriage and began construction of her masterpiece: a bomb, which she intended to plant in Tina's wedding cake.

When Mari Lynn picked up the cake and left it in the carriage house before the wedding, Ursula did her surgery, inserting a trip wire and bomb into the layer cake. When Tina cut the wire, she would be blown skyhigh. Asa, Renee and Cord and Tina were married in a beautiful ceremony and retired to Llanfair for a reception with family and friends. Ursula watched from outside as Tina and Renee cut the cake. But damn! - they missed the wire! Time and again, as the cake was dished out, the wire was not cut. Wanda Wolek's "heavenly" friend Gilbert Lange (John Fielder) walked up behind Ursula and asked her what she was doing snooping on the reception. Ursula beaned him over the head with a pot and made an escape. Gilbert, in turn, returned to heaven from where he originally came as Viki's guardian angel.

But back to the reception... no one ever cut the wire, so the guests (including Tina) left unharmed. The final to linger around the cake were Brenda and Steve Holden. Steve had divorced Gabrielle months ago after awaking from his coma to find Max and Gabrielle having an affair. Since then, he'd gotten intimately involved with Brenda and, on the day of the double weddings, Brenda and Steve were talking about getting married themselves. They were about to leave when Brenda decided to take a piece of wedding cake home. Steve, meanwhile had a chat with autistic Casey, the gardener at Llanfair (later turned stagehand at Fraternity Row). Casey had ran into Ursula on his way in, and told him that a crazy lady was waiting outside for the "fireworks." Somehow, Steve interpreted "fireworks" as "bomb," looked at Brenda and screamed, "Brenda ... no! Wait!" He rushed at Brenda, knocking her to the floor as the knife sliced the wire in half. The bomb exploded and Steve shielded Brenda from the blast. Alas, he died in the process and a traumatized Brenda later discovered she was pregnant with his child.

Viki's missing daughter; the scam
Viki, attending her 25th high school reunion, began having disturbing flashbacks about her past. She remembered holding a little girl, and kissing a young man from her childhood. When Viki underwent hypnosis by the shady Lysander Clair, to uncover more of these troubling thoughts, she became convinced that she had given birth to a daughter 25 years ago. But who was the father? And where was the child? And had her father Victor known?

Viki's embarked on a long quest to find her missing daughter. Her search apparently ended when she met a young photographer by the name of Christine Cromwell (Susan Flynn), and her father Leo (Alan Scarfe), who claimed that his daughter was also Viki's. Leo claimed he'd had a romance with Viki's alternate personality Niki Smith years ago. For weeks, Viki believed that Christine was her daugther (despite the fact that the two looked NOTHING alike) Christine, an awkward young girl, allowed herself to be drawn into the Buchanan family, and accepted the fact that she must be Viki's child because her father had said so.

But when Megan and Sarah's father, Roger Gordon (Larry Pine) came to Llanview, it became clear that, not only was Leo not the man Viki had loved years ago, but Christine was certainly not her daughter. As it turned out, Leo had used Viki's search as a scam. He was a money-hungry louse and decided that if his daughter became a Lord, she would also become rich ... as would he. Christine had known nothing of his plan. Reeling, Roger's presence set off a chain-reaction of memories in Viki's mind. She soon learned that one of Roger's daughters was also her own. But was it Sarah (whom Viki had always loved as a daughter) or Megan (who she hadn't got along with since they'd first met?)

Michael Grande arrives in town
As 1988 wound to a close, ruthless businessman Michael Grande (Dennis Parlato) arrived in Llanfair amidst a mysterious quest to learn the truth about his father Garrick, who had been a business associate of Victor Lord years ago. He instantly became attracted to Gabrielle (who was busy trying to win back Max). As time progressed, it became clear that not only was Michael the wrong person to double-cross, but he was a very dangerous man when provoked. Unfortunately, in the coming years, he would be provoked a great deal...