Today in Soap Opera History (June 26)

1978: Days of our Lives' Steve arrived in Salem.
1983: Loving premiered in primetime on ABC.
1992: Guiding Light's Bridget had bad news for Roger.
2007: Passions' blackmailer wanted Theresa murdered.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1939: NBC Blue aired the final episode of short-lived radio soap opera Orphans of Divorce. Margaret Anglin starred as Nora Kelly Worthington.

1946: On radio soap Rosemary, Rosemary (Betty Winkler) stopped at a drug store to use the telephone to call Dr. Jim (Bill Adams) about Bill's memory return.

1963: On Ben Jerrod, Ben (Michael Ryan) cross-examined the witness.

Thanks to Jeff for sending in the item above.

1968: On Another World, Sam (Jordan Charney) was suspicious of his niece, the social climbimg Rachel (Robin Strasser). He smiled when she said they could be friends now that they were traveling in the same high-class circles (Rachel married Russ earlier in 1968 on January 3). Sam moved to Somerset in 1970 with his wife, Lahoma.

Robin Strasser Joins 'Days of our Lives'

Daytime Emmy winning actress Robin Strasser has joined the cast of Days of our Lives. Strasser confirmed the rumors of her casting in a tweet on Wednesday.

"THEY called-I JUMPED -You can't SAY #SupportThe4 & NOT let them in when they KNOCK on your door- #DOOL yes;-)," she wrote.

Strasser previously starred in multiple soap opera roles, including portrayals of two iconic characters, Dorian Lord on One Life to Live and Rachel Davis on Another World. Look for her to turn up as another memorable lady on Days in late summer.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 3)

1977: Lovers and Friends premiered on NBC.
1980: Edge of Night's Cliff ate Mrs. Corey's soup.
1995: Days' Alice interrupted Bo and Billie's wedding.
2001: All My Children's Bianca was outed at the Crystal Ball.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1938: Irna Phillips' radio soap opera Woman in White premiered on NBC Red. The show told the story of Karen Adams, a young nurse who dedicated her life to others, taking care of two young siblings after the death of her parents. Karen spent much of her time counseling others, although she did find time to marry and experience some marital difficulties of her own. The show ran until 1942 but returned from 1944 to 1948 as the story of nurse Eileen Holmes and her romance with Dr. Paul Burton, with only a few characters remaining from the original version. During this later period, Woman in White appeared as part of The General Mills Hour, along with two other Irna Phillips serials, The Guiding Light and Today's Children, and Phillips experimented with combining plots and moving characters among the three stories.

Today in Soap Opera History (June 29)

1966: Dark Shadows' Victoria noticed her letter had moved.
1987: As the World Turns' Margo and Hal shared a kiss.
1994: Days of our Lives' Salem said goodbye to Dr. Tom Horton.
2012: The Young and the Restless' Paul shot his son, Ricky.

"All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1915: Future soap opera legend Ruth Warrick was born. Her daytime roles included Phoebe on All My Children, ex-Hannah in Peyton Place, Janet on The Guiding Light and Edie in As the World Turns).

1943: Radio soap opera Lonely Women, created by Irna Phillips, debuted on NBC Radio.

1952: CBS aired the final episode of Procter & Gamble soap opera The First Hundred Years, a tale of married life against the backdrop of New York City. James Lydon and Anne Sargent starred as newlyweds Chris and Connie Thayer. Read more here in the Complete, Concise Yearly History of TV Soap Operas.

1956: The Guiding Light aired for the final time on CBS Radio. The show first premiered on the radio (on NBC) in 1937. In 1952, Guiding Light began airing on television, in addition to the radio broadcasts. The series remained on CBS-TV until September 2009.

1956: On the final episode of long-running radio soap opera Young Widder Brown, Dr. Anthony Loring (Ned Weaver) stopped Ellen Brown (Wendy Drew) just before she left Simpsonville for Chicago. He proposed marriage and she accepted.

Today in Soap Opera History (June 26)

1978: Days of our Lives' Steve arrived in Salem.
1983: Loving premiered in primetime on ABC.
1992: Guiding Light's Bridget had bad news for Roger.
2007: Passions' blackmailer wanted Theresa murdered.

"All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1939: NBC Blue aired the final episode of short-lived radio soap opera Orphans of Divorce. Margaret Anglin starred as Nora Kelly Worthington.

1946: On radio soap Rosemary, Rosemary (Betty Winkler) stopped at a drug store to use the telephone to call Dr. Jim (Bill Adams) about Bill's memory return.

1963: On Ben Jerrod, Ben (Michael Ryan) cross-examined the witness.

Thanks to Jeff for sending in the item above.

1968: On Another World, Sam (Jordan Charney) was suspicious of his niece, the social climbimg Rachel (Robin Strasser). He smiled when she said they could be friends now that they were traveling in the same high-class circles (Rachel married Russ earlier in 1968 on January 3). Sam moved to Somerset in 1970 with his wife, Lahoma.

Today in Soap Opera History (February 17)

1982: GH's Luke ran into his old friend, Johnny.
1983: Knots Landings' Ciji was found dead.
1987: Ryan's Hope's Max Dubujak fell to his "death".
1998: AW's Shane Roberts died following a car crash.

"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1953: On The Guiding Light, Bert Bauer (Charita Bauer) told her father-in-law, Papa Bauer (Theo Goetz), that she was worried her husband, Bill (Lyle Sudrow), might have an affair with Gloria LaRue or even return to the bottle. Later, Papa advised Bill to be more loving and patient with Bert. Bill admitted he's not sure how faithful he could be to Bert with her domineering ways interfering.

1961: On The Edge of Night, Sara Karr (Teal Ames) ran out of the house after her two-year-old, Laurie (Victoria Larkin), had wandered into the street, followed by the sound of screeching tires and an impact.

1972: Robin Strasser returned to the role of Rachel Clark on Another World, two months after leaving the NBC soap opera in December 1971. The announcer said: "Today, Another World welcomes back Robin Strasser in the role of Rachel."

Today in Soap Opera History (January 3)

1977: Lovers and Friends premiered on NBC.
1980: Edge of Night's Cliff ate Mrs. Corey's soup.
1995: Days' Alice interrupted Bo and Billie's wedding.
2001: All My Children's Bianca was outed at the Crystal Ball.

"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1938: Irna Phillips' radio soap opera Woman in White premiered on NBC Red. The show told the story of Karen Adams, a young nurse who dedicated her life to others, taking care of two young siblings after the death of her parents. Karen spent much of her time counseling others, although she did find time to marry and experience some marital difficulties of her own. The show ran until 1942 but returned from 1944 to 1948 as the story of nurse Eileen Holmes and her romance with Dr. Paul Burton, with only a few characters remaining from the original version. During this later period, Woman in White appeared as part of The General Mills Hour, along with two other Irna Phillips serials, The Guiding Light and Today's Children, and Phillips experimented with combining plots and moving characters among the three stories.

Today in Soap Opera History (June 29)

1966: Dark Shadows' Victoria noticed her letter had moved.
1987: As the World Turns' Margo and Hal shared a kiss.
1994: Days of our Lives' Salem said goodbye to Dr. Tom Horton.
2012: The Young and the Restless' Paul shot his son, Ricky.

"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1915: Future soap opera legend Ruth Warrick was born. Her daytime roles included Phoebe on All My Children, ex-Hannah in Peyton Place, Janet on The Guiding Light and Edie in As the World Turns).

1943: Radio soap opera Lonely Women, created by Irna Phillips, debuted on NBC Radio.

1952: CBS aired the final episode of Procter & Gamble soap opera The First Hundred Years, a tale of married life against the backdrop of New York City. James Lydon and Anne Sargent starred as newlyweds Chris and Connie Thayer. Read more here in the Complete, Concise Yearly History of TV Soap Operas.

1956: The Guiding Light aired for the final time on CBS Radio. The show first premiered on the radio (on NBC) in 1937. In 1952, Guiding Light began airing on television, in addition to the radio broadcasts. The series remained on CBS-TV until September 2009.

1956: On the final episode of long-running radio soap opera Young Widder Brown, Dr. Anthony Loring (Ned Weaver) stopped Ellen Brown (Wendy Drew) just before she left Simpsonville for Chicago. He proposed marriage and she accepted.

Today in Soap Opera History (June 26)

1978: Days of our Lives' Steve arrived in Salem.
1983: Loving premiered in primetime on ABC.
1992: Guiding Light's Bridget had bad news for Roger.
2007: Passions' blackmailer wanted Theresa murdered.

"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1939: NBC Blue aired the final episode of short-lived radio soap opera Orphans of Divorce. Margaret Anglin starred as Nora Kelly Worthington.

1946: On radio soap Rosemary, Rosemary (Betty Winkler) stopped at a drug store to use the telephone to call Dr. Jim (Bill Adams) about Bill's memory return.

1963: On Ben Jerrod, Ben (Michael Ryan) cross-examined the witness.

Thanks to Jeff for sending in the item above.

1968: On Another World, Sam (Jordan Charney) was suspicious of his niece, the social climbimg Rachel (Robin Strasser). He smiled when she said they could be friends now that they were traveling in the same high-class circles (Rachel married Russ earlier in 1968 on January 3). Sam moved to Somerset in 1970 with his wife, Lahoma.

Today in Soap Opera History (February 17)

1982: GH's Luke ran into his old friend, Johnny.
1983: Knots Landings' Ciji was found dead.
1987: Ryan's Hope's Max Dubujak fell to his "death".
1998: AW's Shane Roberts died following a car crash.

"All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1953: On The Guiding Light, Bert Bauer (Charita Bauer) told her father-in-law, Papa Bauer (Theo Goetz), that she was worried her husband, Bill (Lyle Sudrow), might have an affair with Gloria LaRue or even return to the bottle. Later, Papa advised Bill to be more loving and patient with Bert. Bill admitted he's not sure how faithful he could be to Bert with her domineering ways interfering.

1961: On The Edge of Night, Sara Karr (Teal Ames) ran out of the house after her two-year-old, Laurie (Victoria Larkin), had wandered into the street, followed by the sound of screeching tires and an impact.

1972: Robin Strasser returned to the role of Rachel Clark on Another World, two months after leaving the NBC soap opera in December 1971. The announcer said: "Today, Another World welcomes back Robin Strasser in the role of Rachel."

Today in Soap Opera History (January 3)

1977: Lovers and Friends premiered on NBC. 1980: Edge of 
Night's Cliff ate soup Mrs. Corey intended for Deborah.
1995: Days' Alice interrupted Bo and Billie's wedding.
2001: All My Children's Bianca was outed at the Crystal Ball.

"More and more, I tend to read history. I often find it more up to date than the daily newspapers."
― Joe Murray

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1938: Irna Phillips' radio soap opera Woman in White premiered on NBC Red. The show told the story of Karen Adams, a young nurse who dedicated her life to others, taking care of two young siblings after the death of her parents. Karen spent much of her time counseling others, although she did find time to marry and experience some marital difficulties of her own. The show ran until 1942 but returned from 1944 to 1948 as the story of nurse Eileen Holmes and her romance with Dr. Paul Burton, with only a few characters remaining from the original version. During this later period, Woman in White appeared as part of The General Mills Hour, along with two other Irna Phillips serials, The Guiding Light and Today's Children, and Phillips experimented with combining plots and moving characters among the three stories.

Today in Soap Opera History (June 29)

1966: Dark Shadows' Victoria noticed her letter had moved.
1987: As the World Turns' Margo and Hal shared a kiss.
1994: Days of our Lives' Salem said goodbye to Dr. Tom Horton.
2012: The Young and the Restless' Paul shot his son, Ricky.

"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree."
― Michael Crichton

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1915: Future soap opera legend Ruth Warrick was born. Her daytime roles included Phoebe on All My Children, ex-Hannah in Peyton Place, Janet on The Guiding Light and Edie in As the World Turns).

1943: Radio soap opera Lonely Women, created by Irna Phillips, debuted on NBC Radio.

1956: The Guiding Light aired for the final time on CBS Radio. The show first premiered on the radio (on NBC) in 1937. In 1952, Guiding Light began airing on television, in addition to the radio broadcasts. The series remained on CBS-TV until September 2009.

1956: On the final episode of long-running radio soap opera Young Widder Brown, Dr. Anthony Loring (Ned Weaver) stopped Ellen Brown (Wendy Drew) just before she left Simpsonville for Chicago. He proposed marriage and she accepted.

Today in Soap Opera History (June 26)

1978: Days of our Lives' Steve arrived in Salem.
1983: Loving premiered in primetime on ABC.
1992: Guiding Light's Bridget had bad news for Roger.
2007: Passions' blackmailer wanted Theresa murdered.

"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree."
― Michael Crichton

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1939: NBC Blue aired the final episode of short-lived radio soap opera Orphans of Divorce. Margaret Anglin starred as Nora Kelly Worthington.

1946: On radio soap Rosemary, Rosemary (Betty Winkler) stopped at a drug store to use the telephone to call Dr. Jim (Bill Adams) about Bill's memory return.

1963: On Ben Jerrod, Ben (Michael Ryan) cross-examined the witness.

Thanks to Jeff for sending in the item above.

1968: On Another World, Sam (Jordan Charney) was suspicious of his niece, the social climbimg Rachel (Robin Strasser). He smiled when she said they could be friends now that they were traveling in the same high-class circles (Rachel married Russ earlier in 1968 on January 3). Sam moved to Somerset in 1970 with his wife, Lahoma.

Daytime Legend Robin Strasser Weighs in on Apple Controversy During 'Today' Show Segment

On Thursday morning, NBC's Today Show asked viewers what they think of Apple's opposition to a court order from the FBI that the company unlock the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. Carson Daly reported from the Orange Room on viewer response, which included a tweet from a daytime legend. Robin Strasser (who played the iconic Dorian Lord on One Life to Live and Rachel Davis on Another World) weighed in, offering to join in a boycott of Apple if they did not relent.

Watch the segment below.

Today in Soap Opera History (February 17)

1982: GH's Luke ran into his old friend, Johnny.
1983: Knots Landings' Ciji was found dead.
1987: Ryan's Hope's Max Dubujak fell to his "death".
1998: AW's Shane Roberts died following a car crash.

"The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect is already in the cause."
― Henri Louis Bergson

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1953: On The Guiding Light, Bert Bauer (Charita Bauer) told her father-in-law, Papa Bauer (Theo Goetz), that she was worried her husband, Bill (Lyle Sudrow), might have an affair with Gloria LaRue or even return to the bottle. Later, Papa advised Bill to be more loving and patient with Bert. Bill admitted he's not sure how faithful he could be to Bert with her domineering ways interfering.

1961: On The Edge of Night, Sara Karr (Teal Ames) ran out of the house after her two-year-old, Laurie (Victoria Larkin), had wandered into the street, followed by the sound of screeching tires and an impact.

1972: Robin Strasser returned to the role of Rachel Clark on Another World, after leaving the soap two months earlier in December 1971. The announcer said: "Today, Another World welcomes back Robin Strasser in the role of Rachel."

Today in Soap Opera History (January 3)

1977: Lovers and Friends premiered on NBC. 1980: Edge of 
Night's Cliff ate soup Mrs. Corey intended for Deborah.
1995: Days' Alice interrupted Bo and Billie's wedding.
2001: All My Children's Bianca was outed at the Crystal Ball.

"The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect is already in the cause."
― Henri Louis Bergson

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1938: Irna Phillips' radio soap opera Woman in White premiered on NBC Red. The show told the story of Karen Adams, a young nurse who dedicated her life to others, taking care of two young siblings after the death of her parents. Karen spent much of her time counseling others, although she did find time to marry and experience some marital difficulties of her own. The show ran until 1942 but returned from 1944 to 1948 as the story of nurse Eileen Holmes and her romance with Dr. Paul Burton, with only a few characters remaining from the original version. During this later period, Woman in White appeared as part of The General Mills Hour, along with two other Irna Phillips serials, The Guiding Light and Today's Children, and Phillips experimented with combining plots and moving characters among the three stories.

FLASHBACK: 'Another World' The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice (Part 13)

Margaret "Margie" Impert played Rachel Clark
on Another World when Robin Strasser left the role.

ANOTHER WORLD: The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice

The Soap Box
Vol. IV No. 7 July 1979
by Bryna Laub

(continued from Part 12)

Alice and Steven Frame's honeymoon on the island of St. Croix in the Caribbean had ended, but their happiness was undiminished when they returned to Bay City to begin their life together in the beautiful country home Steven had built for her. She had resigned her job as a nurse at Bay City Hospital and was fully enjoying her new role as a housewife and the anticipation of motherhood ahead for her.

But one tragic event marred their happiness. Shortly before Alice's brother was to marry Cindy Clark, Cindy became ill. Russ was heartbroken when her doctors broke the news that her illness was terminal. Russ and his family chose to hide the truth from Cindy and, under the impression she would soon recover, she married Russ in the hospital chapel only hours before she died.

FLASHBACK: 'Another World' The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice (Part 12)

Steven and Alice finally married on September 24, 1971, more
than three years after they met at Walter and Lenore Curtin's
wedding reception.

ANOTHER WORLD: The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice

The Soap Box
Vol. IV No. 6 June 1979
by Bryna Laub

(continued from Part 11)

It was the Curtins who finally helped Alice put the ghost of Rachel's interference to rest. They invited her for the evening and gently explained that Steven had financed Ted out of love for HER and for their future together. Only by making sure that Rachel had no reason to come to him for money could he put her out of their lives, and there was nothing he wouldn't do to make sure that happened. Suddenly, for the first time in a year, it was clear to Alice. The problem wasn't Rachel or even Jamie, it was herself and her attitude toward their problems.

Alice quickly called Steven and he hurried to her. Eagerly she asked his forgiveness for misjudging his motives and his actions. She explained she now understood that while Jamie was an important part of his life, Rachel could only be as important as they let her be. If she and Steve had love and trust between them, Rachel was no longer a threat.

FLASHBACK: 'Another World' The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice (Part 11)

After being rejected by Brian Blake, Rachel Davis
Matthews (Robin Strasser) met Ted Clark (played
by Stephen Bolster).

ANOTHER WORLD: The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice

The Soap Box
Vol. IV No. 6 June 1979
by Bryna Laub

(continued from Part 10)

Russ's hurt was healed as well. He had fallen in love with one of his patients, Cindy Clark, a warm, sweet, loving girl who was everything Rachel was not. And out of his love for Cindy came true forgiveness in Russ's heart. He wrote to Alice that he no longer blamed Steven. In fact, he no longer blamed Rachel as he should have seen her for what she was and not been blinded by her deceptions and her wiles. Marry Steven if you really love him, he advised his sister, and don't let anything stand in the way of your happiness.

Rachel, meanwhile, had bitten the bullet over her alimony defeat and consoled herself with Brian. Assuming his passionate lovemaking meant undying love, she happily accompanied him to New York, then returned to plan their move to the big city. When Brian had to go back east for another meeting, Rachel interpreted his telephoned "wish you were here" as an invitation, and arrived at his hotel room to find him with another woman. Shocked, she screamed bitter recriminations at his betrayal--after all they were almost married, weren't they? Not at all, he coldly informed her, it was fun while it lasted, but it's over.

FLASHBACK: 'Another World' The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice (Part 10)

The cast of Another World.  From left, front row: Ann Wedgeworth,
Charles Baxter, Lisa Cameron, Nancy Wickwire, Judith Barcroft, Jacquie
Courtney, Robin Strasser, Sam Groom. Standing: Jordan Charney, Harry
Bellaver, George Reinholt, Beverly Penberthy, Val Dufour, Micki Grant,
Hugh Marlowe, Virginia Dwyer, Geoffrey Lumb, Michael M. Ryan
and Constance Ford.

ANOTHER WORLD: The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice

The Soap Box
Vol. IV No. 6 June 1979
by Bryna Laub

(continued from Part 9)

Now the big battle was coming up. Russ had agreed to pay for a divorce and, for appearance's sake, to let Rachel file on grounds of desertion. But that was all--no alimony, no child support. Rachel, of course, wasn't going to let him get off that easily. After all, hadn't she slaved and sacrificed while he was an intern and then a resident? She had been a dutiful wife and she was going to get everything she was entitled to.

Shortly before the hearing Jame became seriously ill and it was entirely due to Russ's skill as a doctor that he survived without serious aftereffects. Brian, ever aware of the points one needs to score in court to win alimony settlements, now advised her to return the trust fund money to the Matthews as a gesture of good will for Russ's efforts. But Rachel adamantly refused. It was her baby's money and she was going to keep it.