Luke and Laura
Luke and Laura | |
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General Hospital character | |
Duration |
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Created by | Charlotte Cassadine |
Luke and Laura Spencer are fictional characters, and the signature supercouple from the American daytime drama General Hospital.[1] Luke is portrayed by Anthony Geary, and Laura is portrayed by Genie Francis. Though other supercouples came before them, Luke and Laura are the best known outside of the soap opera medium and are credited with defining the term supercouple and leading other soap operas to try to duplicate their success.[2][3][4]
Despite having been raped by a drunken Luke, Laura falls in love with him. Originally, critics of the soap opera genre panned the choice of having a rape victim fall in love with her rapist,[4] an example of forced seduction.[5] The unlikely pairing became popular in spite of Luke's past misdeed when the story shifted to focus on love and redemption.
The couple wed at the end of the hour-long show which aired on November 16 and 17, 1981; the event was watched by 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated hour in American soap opera history.
Writing
General
In 1978, General Hospital was close to cancellation owing to low viewership. At that time, they were ranked lowest in the
Anthony Geary joined the cast in 1978 in what was meant to be a 13-week stint as Luke Spencer.[17] His sister, Bobbie Spencer, brought him to town to help her break up Laura's relationship with Scotty. By the end of Geary's contract, Luke was supposed to be killed off.[13] Like Laura, Luke appealed to teenage viewers because of his "edgy volatility."[13][18] Since viewers expressed interest in Luke and Laura, the writers decided to have Luke die in Laura's arms, after which she would reunite with Scotty.[19] Owing to the positive viewer response, the story moved towards a romance between Luke and Laura.[13][19][20]
Rape
The rape was revisited in 1998 when Luke and Laura's son, Lucky, finds out about the incident.[23] This time, the writers scripted it as rape instead of a seduction. Lucky struggled to come to terms with the revelation while Luke and Laura dealt with the unresolved issues surrounding the rape.[23][24][25] In a 2000 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Geary said, for the taping of the scenes, "Alan Pultz, who had directed the rape originally, used his original notes and directed me that day to recall all of that. I was able to finally put out what I think is Luke's definitive statement: that it was rape, it was ugly, he'd probably never recover." He added, "I was grateful that the directors and the writers were interested in what Luke's experience was and didn't try to spin it for audience control."[25]
Adventure plots
After the rape storyline, the focus of General Hospital began to center on Luke and Laura's romance. Before, the show revolved around hospital stories, including
In a 2008 interview with
Later years
Monty, who left the series in 1986, returned in 1991 with the hope she would again raise the ratings of the show. She brought Geary back to General Hospital that same year as Luke's
Storylines
Luke, Laura, and Scotty (1978–1980)
Teenaged Laura begins dating
In July 1979, Scotty and Laura marry. He begins law school while she begins working at the Campus Disco, which is managed by Luke. She becomes attracted to Luke as he flirts with her, but shows no outward interest in him. Luke is involved with mobster
Frank, furious at Luke, demands he marry Frank's daughter, Jennifer (then played by Lisa Marie). To get out of this marriage, Luke orders Laura to tell Scotty he raped her. She refuses and gets jealous when she observes Luke flirting with Jennifer. Scotty tells Laura she has to quit her job at the disco. On her last night, she shares a romantic kiss with Luke. Horrified, she slaps him. Later she accidentally gets locked in his office, overhearing Luke and Frank discussing mob business. When Frank discovers her, he forces her to continue to work at the disco. She tells Luke not to marry Jennifer. He traps Laura on a sailboat and forces her to admit she wants him just as much as he wants her. When she does so, he releases her from his arms and tells her to go tell the authorities how it was rape, as he believes it wasn't. She refuses. He realizes he is in too deep with the mob to ever be with Laura. She writes him a letter expressing her feelings, trying to break the bond between them, which Scotty finds on the day of Luke and Jennifer's wedding. Scotty interrupts the ceremony on Frank's yacht and knocks Luke overboard, leading everyone to believe he is dead.
Later, in the scuffle around the yacht, Laura is walking by and Luke grabs her ankle from the water. She helps him get away and they decide to be on the run. He stole Frank's encoded black book, which holds the details of his criminal dealings. They could be free of the mob and be together if they could decode the book, so they flee Port Charles as Frank's men pursue them. While on the run, Luke and Laura dance at Wyndham's Department Store before ending up in the rural town of Beecher's Corners. They pose as newlyweds Lloyd and Lucy Johnson and are able to evade Frank's men, Jefferson "Hutch" Smith Hutchinson, and Sally Armitage (who it was revealed was really Max Hedges, in drag). Eventually, Luke and Laura find enough evidence to have Frank arrested. They celebrate by making love. On their return to Port Charles, the press bombards them. Still traumatized from the press attention she endured after David's death, Laura declares she still considers herself Scott's wife. A heartbroken Luke rejects her after hearing that.
Ice Princess saga (1981–1984)
While Laura attempts to find Scotty, who has fled to Mexico, she continues to pursue Luke and moves into the same apartment building as him. Meanwhile, Luke takes a job with wealthy Edward Quartermaine (then played by David Lewis) and his niece Alexandria (Renee Anderson), who are searching for the Ice Princess, the world's largest uncut diamond. Also in pursuit of the diamond is Mikkos Cassadine (John Colicos), a wealthy Greek tycoon bent on world domination. Luke and Laura reconcile and decide to get married when Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers), an agent for the World Security Bureau (WSB), informs Luke the statue the diamond is hidden in also contains a formula for a dangerous substance called "carbonic snow" that is powerful enough to freeze Port Charles.
Alexandria, working with Mikkos's brothers Victor and Tony (Thaao Penghlis and Andre Landzaat), acquires the diamond and decides to deliver it aboard Titan, the Cassadines' yacht and brings several Port Charles residents with her. Luke and Robert stow away on the yacht. They are shocked to discover Laura has done so as well. The trio arrive at Mikkos's private island in the Atlantic and discover he is planning on using the Ice Princess to hold the world for ransom, threatening to send the world into a new ice age. He also reveals Port Charles is to be used as an example, and soon the city is plunged into a blizzard, despite it being the middle of the summer. Alexandria and Tony are killed when they try to stop Mikkos. Luke is able to figure out the correct password to turn off Mikkos's machine. After struggling with Luke, Mikkos is killed. Luke, Laura, and Robert are hailed as heroes when they return to Port Charles. As Luke and Laura prepare to marry, Lee Baldwin (Peter Hansen) reveals he drunkenly burned Scotty and Laura's divorce papers. Lee attempts to find Scott in Mexico, but when they are unable to, Laura decides to have a Mexican divorce, risky since the divorce would be invalid should Scott ever contest it.
Luke and Laura marry on November 17, 1981, in a lavish ceremony officiated by the mayor of Port Charles, with hundreds of residents from Port Charles and Beecher's Corners in attendance. Bobbie and Laura are able to come to an uneasy truce, since they both love Luke. However, Mikkos' widow
Scott is able to be talked out of contesting his divorce. In 1982, Laura mysteriously disappears off of a pier in Port Charles and is presumed dead. Jackie Templeton (
In 1983, an increasingly lonely Luke decides to run for mayor of Port Charles, and wins the election. While celebrating his victory, Laura Spencer reveals she is alive and had been kidnapped by the Cassadine family. Mikkos' cousin (later retconned as eldest son)
In 1984, Robert helps Luke when he is accused of murder in Mexico, so that Luke would be free to be with Laura. When Luke is finally cleared, he returns to Laura, who announces the joyous news that she is pregnant. The Spencers immediately share their news with their friends. With this revelation, Luke and Laura made what seemingly would be their last appearance on General Hospital. In the following years, passing references to the couple would be made by several characters.
Later that year, Laura's mother Lesley appears to die in a car accident (later revealed to be arranged by the Cassadine family).
Return to Port Charles (1993–1998)
While traveling, Laura gives birth to Luke's son Lucas Lorenzo Spencer, Jr., whom they nickname
Laura reveals she is pregnant again and gives birth to a daughter named Lesley Lu Spencer and nicknamed Lulu. Luke's involvement in Sonny's business leads to a brief separation. They continue to be threatened by Damian Smith. When Damian is murdered, Laura is arrested for the crime. She is exonerated. It is revealed her lawyer Justus Ward (then played by Joseph C. Phillips), who was the illegitimate grandson of Edward Quartermaine (now played by John Ingle), was the killer.
Lulu is diagnosed with
Stefan reveals Helena (now played by
Marital woes (1998–2002)
Laura returns in 1998 to discover Nikolas has been shot in front of Luke's club as a result of Luke's ties to Sonny Corinthos. She also discovers Nikolas told Lucky about Luke raping her, devastating Lucky who has fallen in love with rape victim Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst). Lucky slowly works towards repairing his relationship with his parents. Laura and Luke eventually separate when the truth about her past with Stefan is revealed, leading to Stefan and Bobbie divorcing. The marriage is further tested when Lucky appears to die in a fire, which the couple blame on Sonny. Helena, however, has kidnapped Lucky. She begins to brainwash him. Laura begins a relationship with Stefan. However, when Luke learns Lucky is alive, they suspect Stefan may have been involved in his disappearance. Laura ends things. The two focus all their energies on finding their son. When they do, they work together to help him recover from Helena's manipulations. Along the way, they must again deal with Jennifer Smith, now played by Sally Struthers.
The kidnapping of Lucky was a distraction for Helena's real plan, the revival of her presumed dead son Stavros (now
Laura, unable to cope with her role in two deaths, loses touch with reality. In 2002, Luke is forced to commit Laura to an insane asylum. As his presence only makes things worse, he gives Nikolas power of attorney over all of her medical decisions. Eventually, Laura slips into a catatonic state.
Laura's return (2006)
By September 2006, Luke is married to Edward's manipulative daughter Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot). However, Robert's daughter, Dr. Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough), announces a potential drug therapy that can help Laura recover. Despite knowing that it could lead to permanent catatonia, Luke decides to go ahead with the treatment as all of Laura's children desperately need her. Lucky (then-Greg Vaughan) is recovering from a drug addiction and had an affair with Felicia's daughter Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms), Lulu has recently had an abortion, and Nikolas is raising a young son on his own. On October 26, 2006, Laura awakens and is surprised that so much time has passed. While Laura bonds with her children, Luke flies to the Dominican Republic and appears to divorce Tracy in order to give Laura the wedding they had been planning before her mental illness. Laura is able to remember killing Rick and apologizes to her mother and family for what she put them through. Feeling stronger, Laura gets her children to start revealing their secrets so she can help them.
Luke is revealed to be keeping secret that the drug therapy is only a temporary solution and that Laura will eventually return to her catatonic state. Lulu is able to convince her cousin Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright) to postpone her marriage to Jasper Jacks (Ingo Rademacher), allowing her parents to use the supplies already in place. On November 16, 2006, Luke and Laura remarry on their 25th wedding anniversary.[35] A drunken Tracy has to be removed from the ceremony, and scheming Maxie manages to sneak into the ceremony and catch Laura's bouquet, much like Scott had 25 years before. On November 20, Luke reveals that Laura's illness is no longer mental but physical and she will soon revert to her catatonic state. Laura decides she wants an early Christmas as she may not be around for the real one and is able to comfort Lulu when she reveals the truth about her abortion. When Luke arrives with the tree, Laura is confused, confirming that her catatonia is returning. After being escorted back to the asylum, Laura reveals to her daughter that she does not think she really killed Rick Webber and asks her to prove her innocence. After saying goodbye to her family, Laura returns to her chair and sits with Luke as he tearfully watches her slip back into silence.
After Laura's return to catatonia (2008)
Lulu begins investigating Rick's death, and starts to suspect Tracy's brother
While at Shadybrook, Laura reveals to Lulu that she has been waking up but wants it kept from the family in case she relapses. Laura helps Lulu work through her guilt over Logan's death, though Lulu again questions her sanity when doctors reveal that the Laura she has been talking to is a figment of her imagination. Scott finds Lulu talking to her still catatonic mother and begins threatening to have her arrested for Logan's death. Upon hearing her daughter in danger, Laura really wakes up and convinces Scott to leave with her to protect her daughter. Laura and Scott head to Los Angeles, where their first honeymoon took place, as Tracy and Luke pursue them. Laura and Luke are able to reunite, but their happiness is short lived when Laura learns that their last wedding was a fake and that Luke is still married to Tracy. Laura returns to Port Charles and after a joyful reunion with her family decides to move to Europe to continue treatments to insure that she does not relapse. Unknown to her, Scott Baldwin follows.
Second Ice Princess and Luke's departure (2013–2015)
On February 11, 2013 Laura returns once more to Port Charles. She catches up with daughter Lulu at the Haunted Star and tells her of her long visit with Lucky in Ireland. On February 19, 2013, Luke and Laura are surprised when Lulu receives an uncut Ice Princess rock from an unknown person; it turns out to be a fake. This chain of events eventually results in Lulu being kidnapped by Helena and Stavros Cassidine. Luke and Laura, accompanied by Lulu's husband Dante, are able to rescue Lulu only to discover that her memory has been wiped. However, Lulu's memories are eventually restored thanks to Dante.
In 2015, Laura returns to Port Charles again seeking Luke's help in saving their son Lucky from Helena, which results in the rescue of both Lucky and his young son Jake. Luke later departs from Port Charles soon afterward on a journey of self-healing in order to fight off the demons of his past, leaving a goodbye letter for Laura in which he refers to her as his "Angel".
Cultural impact
Luke and Laura's November 17, 1981 wedding brought in 30 million viewers; it remains the highest rated soap opera episode in American daytime television history.[1][6][7][8] Elizabeth Taylor made a cameo appearance during the event,[6][18][36][37] and Princess Diana sent champagne.[6][38] The couple was subsequently credited with having brought "legitimacy to daytime serials" by crossing boundaries and becoming celebrities in the mainstream media. "[They took daytime] out of the closet so people were not ashamed to say 'I watch a soap.' General Hospital and Luke and Laura...were like the super couple," said Lilana Novakovitch, a Canadian agent for soap opera stars.[18] "They ended up being on the cover of People magazine, Newsweek magazine; they gave credibility to soap opera fans."[18]
Soap Opera Digest columnist Carolyn Hinsey stated that she was at her Indiana University sorority house when the wedding took place. "Laura Spencer — like the actress portraying her, Genie Francis — was only 19 at the time and leading a much more glamorous life than the girls in Indiana could imagine," she said. "The relationship had creepy overtones, given that Luke had raped Laura two years earlier, and yet it captured the imagination."[6]
There had never been a more influential soap opera moment than Luke and Laura's wedding. There never will be again. You could walk down the hallway and talk to anyone on our daytime staff, and they could tell you where they were when Luke and Laura got married.
Francis said, "I didn't really understand how big it was. I really enjoyed all my time at work. The hard time was when I was not working. Fortunately, there were not many of those hours."[6] Geary stated, "It just wasn't anything that I was prepared to deal with as an actor, because I was in daytime. We were international celebrities but still considered small-screen."[6] Geary continued, "People didn't take it seriously and those that did took it too seriously. It was a very, very odd place to be."[6]
The widespread media attention of Luke and Laura's wedding set the pairing up as "the model" for other soap opera supercouples.[2][3][4][39] Shows wanted to duplicate their success, and, with the exception of rape for most of the couples, started incorporating the same type of action stories, romantic themes, and tales of intrigue which had originally contributed to Luke and Laura's popularity.[2][3][4]
Luke and Laura are regarded as daytime television's quintessential and most
See also
- "Fascination" (1932 song), commonly associated with the couple; first played during the famous dance at Wyndham's Department store
- "Rise" (1979 song by Herb Alpert)
- "Think of Laura" (1983 song by Christopher Cross; commonly associated with the couple)
- List of supercouples
Notes
- ^ While seeds for the couple's story were planted during Douglas Marland's tenure, Luke and Laura's actual romance doesn't start until 1980 during Smith's tenure.
References
- ^ a b c West, Abby. "Luke and Laura: 17 Great Soap Supercouples". Entertainment Weekly. EW.com. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ ISBN 0-292-75579-1.
- ^ ISBN 0-87972-537-0. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
- ^ a b c d V., Beverly. "General Hospital: Luke & Laura, The Rape". tvfanonline.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- ISBN 9781440650758.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Bauder, David (2006-11-14). "Luke and Laura's Altared State". Associated Press/The Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
- ^ ISBN 0-06-101157-6.
- ^ a b Wolf, Buck (November 17, 2006). "Luke and Laura: Still the Ultimate TV Wedding". ABC.com. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ TV Guide June 29 – July- 5, 1996 pg. 54.
- ^ ISBN 0-8109-3997-5.
- ^ ISBN 0-8230-8315-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g Simon, p. 136-7
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Waters, Harry F. (1981-09-28). "TV's Hottest Show". Newsweek.
- ^ Baldwin, Kristen (1996-11-19). "Golden Girl". Soap Opera Weekly.
- ^ Murphy, May (1980-08-29). "Soap Opera's Tragic Princess". TV Guide.
- ^ "Genie Francis". Soap Opera News. 1997-04-29.
- ^ West, Abby (2008-03-31). "Tony Geary Reflects on 30 Years of GH". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ ISBN 9781551111032. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
- ^ ISBN 0-7407-5118-2.
- ^ a b c "No, Luke, No". Soap Opera Stars. May 1980.
- ISBN 978-0-87972-821-2.
- ^ ISBN 0-8230-7677-6.
- ^ a b Nochimson, p. 361
- ^ "Applause, Applause". Soap Opera Weekly. 1998-08-04.
- ^ a b Gallagher, Kristin (2000-01-04). "Living Legends". Soap Opera Digest.
- ^ Stacy, Tom (2008-11-18). "Trifecta". Soap Opera Digest. pp. 42–46.
- ^ "1981 Wedding Secret Exposed". Soap Opera Digest. 2008-11-18. p. 18.
- ^ Gritten, David (1981-11-16). "Liz Taylor on General Hospital as Luke and Laura Finally Tie the Knot". People.
- ^ a b Schindehette, Susan; McFarland, Sabrina (1993). "Luke and Laura: The Sequel". People.
- ^ a b "Luke and Laura Return to Rekindle Their Sizzling Love". Star Magazine. September 11, 1984.
- ^ a b Logan, Michael (October 16, 1993). "Return Engagement". TV Guide.
- ^ "Star Power". Soap Opera Magazine. October 28, 1997.
- ^ a b c Logan, Michael (May 17, 1997). "In Praise of a Classic Couple". TV Guide.
- ^ Logan, Michael (May 17, 1997). "Tony Geary and Genie Francis Interview". TV Guide.
- USAToday. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
- ISBN 9780879728212. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
- ISBN 9781580462341. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
- ^ "Luke, Laura together again". USA Today. October 24, 2006. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ISBN 9781572735552. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
- Soaps She Knows. Retrieved 18 July 2023.