Okay, so I watched it - February

I did watch one episode with Philip Spaulding on 'Guiding Light.'

I did not mean to. I was going into work very late and had the tv on for background noise as usual. It was only until I got out of the shower and started to pay attention to the tv, that I discovered that Mr. Philip was in this episode. I could have changed the channel, but figured I'd watch so I would have fodder for a post.

I knew from reading a recap that Coop went after Beth to stop her wedding to Alan Spaudling in that tired old chestnut of a storyline where the damsel in distress marries the evil villain to save her true love. (Gee, I saw that somewhere recently, oh yeah in the movies 'Dr. Zhivago' and 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles, which were set in periods where this idea was quaint even then). Also knew that he got into a car accident and it was Philip who saved him. The man in the red sweatershirt.

So Philip breaks up the wedding of his ex-wife and soulmate and his dad (I always found this pairing disturbing. Not so much for the fact that a man was marrying his former daughter in law, but for the fact that he had to have, especially after years of trying to shoehorn her out of the family in a manner that recalls the phrase 'thee doth protests too much'. I mean, was he lusting after her while she dating Philip in high school?) News of Coop's accident comes to all. Beth is covered in Coop's blood and goes the changes that Beth does. Buzz tries to take out Alan, who doesn't get that once you pay somebody to run over the father of your great grandchild and it results in the death of his girlfriend, people might suspect you when a similar instance takes place. Super Philip is on hand to keep Buzz from going to jail. Even after he receives the news that Harley has left with Zach and that no one really knows where she is, he flies off and goes to Beth's side.

Beth, who can never decide whether she is an independent woman, a bitch or beyond needy, is sitting in her blood drenched clothes feeling guilt and other things. Philip arrives and he gets another happy update on more of his various children. Seldom seen James is in boarding school-a decision Beth and Alan (because his parenting skills are best) made. Lizzie, Lizzie...had a baby, was married, lost the baby because of her grandfather's meddling ('meddling is too nice a word'), hooked up with Billy Lewis as an all purpose assistant, hooked up with Bill Lewis (who is fighting his own demons) and fell in love and got kidnapped and still believes Bill did it.

Super Philip hasn't even gotten to poor little Emma yet, but that's another episode.

Super Philip comforts Beth about her more often then not rotten parenting choices in his absence and helps her change out of the clothes stained with Coop's blood. He then flies off to find the daughter that in his Mr. Hyde days left behind and that has for all intents and purposes still considers dead.

Well, Quasi-repentant Super Philip was not exactly what I expected. The promos for his return would have led you to believe that he was riding in like a Horseman of the Apocalypse and all ye in Springfield better tremble. Then again it is early days. Like Ed Bauer once said, Philip is his own worse enemy. (And if anyone is an authority on that, it's Ed Bauer.)

I mentioned in an earlier post that I did not mind the return of a kinder, gentler Philip, but it should make sense. I get that Bill Lewis got him to return for Lizzie. It seems to me that he should be doing something constructive and away from the nuts that put him on the path to destruction. I joked yesterday that he should take up with Ashley Wolf, who should have him focusing on more worthwhile things. I now don't think that's a bad idea. It would be a more interesting story than the Beth/Alan/Rick retread. I also mentioned that a Leah and James storyline would be interesting.

I don't know in which direction Philip go. I thought that Grant Aleksander was always interesting when he was on-screen no matter what role he did-even that weird turn on All My Children as an almost love-interest of Haley Vaughn and biological father of a Black boy named Jamal in a custody battle that I think wanted to be more relevant than it ending up being because All My Children did not want to go there.

Well Philip is back and all I can do is wish him well.