larry (michael storm) , meredith (benesch), 1971
in 1969, karen saves larry (now played previous portrayer jim storm s brother, michael storm) fire left face badly burned, , nurses him health, them becoming close. when recovers injuries , reconstructive facial surgery, consummate relationship. first time soap opera took plastic surgery route explain away different face of recast, ruse used many times on years on soaps, , used twice more on 1 life live when recasting hugely popular original portrayers of max holden (james depaiva) , todd manning (roger howarth). meredith (lynn benesch onward) returns california, condition miraculously improved. larry, upon seeing again, hopes reconciliation. 2 together, victor s ire. days later, however, karen tells larry pregnant. breaks news meredith , marries karen prevent having dangerous , potentially fatal back-alley abortion. character of pat matthews (susan trustman) on world had soaps first abortion in 1964, , suffered consequence of sterility, until underwent procedure , able conceive. abortion still illegal in united states in 1969 when character of karen martin pregnant, , remain until roe v wade in 1973, when children character erica kane (susan lucci) undergo first legal soap opera abortion same year (though retconned 32 years later). usual soap opera solution single woman s pregnancy have married, unwed motherhood not accepted viewing public until decades later.
a heartbroken meredith meets amnesiac whom calls tom edwards (joseph gallison). victor invites meredith take him in @ llanfair. falling tom, identity uncovered bruce mckenzie, 2 become engaged, victor s approval. karen miscarries in 1970, leading divorce larry, , leaves town. resumes courtship of meredith, despite recent engagement. bruce, whom still calls tom , sees desire larry, , breaks off her. meredith , larry marry on terrace of llanfair on june 25, 1970, viki maid of honor , begrudging victor giving away bride.
settling marriage, meredith insists should have baby complete happiness. larry against it, worrying illness, in remission, return. convinces him, , becomes pregnant twins. in 1971, after months of bed rest, gives birth son named daniel , stillborn daughter. falls post-partum depression , deep grief danny s dead twin sister. larry calls in dr. joyce brothers, played herself, wife through grief. celebrity cameo soap opera first 1 life live, , increasingly common soaps in years come.
in august 1973, thieves break llanfair steal victor s valuable art collection. take meredith, plus larry s auto mechanic brother, vinny (antony ponzini), hostage. after days of crisis negotiations lt. ed hall (al freeman, jr.) of fictitious llanview police department, vinny , meredith attempt escape garage being held. meredith stumbles, falls, , hits head when 1 of gunmen shoves her. suffers massive brain trauma on august 8, 1973, episode, before succumbing injuries tells viki (erika slezak onward) tell larry how happy made her. lynn benesch meredith briefly returns in 1987, scenes when viki has near-death experience , goes heaven.
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