Love of Life's Lost Finale Week: Betsy Lived — And This Is What Happened Next

The End of Love of Life, Part 2: What Happened After Betsy Collapsed?

For 45 years, fans wondered if Betsy lived. Ann Marcus's final outlines — on file at the University of Wyoming — reveal what was supposed to happen next.

By Michael Poirier
Contributing Writer, We Love Soaps Insider

In Part One, we left Love of Life on February 1, 1980, with Betsy Harper collapsing on the witness stand and no resolution in sight.

But the story didn’t actually end there.

Fellow historian Mark Faulkner noticed something while looking through Ann Marcus’s papers: Marcus’s script outlines for Love of Life went past the last episode that aired, continuing through the following week.

The collection is on file at the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming. I ordered copies of those outlines, which they provide for a fee, and read through them to see what came next.

What I found is fascinating not just for what was planned, but for how much changed at the last minute. Even though Marcus said the scripts would play out as written, there were a number of revisions in the final two episodes.

Here is what the outlines show — and what changed by airtime:

What changed before the finale:

Andrew was cut. The character of Andrew was cut entirely from the January 31st episode. In the outline, he is furious that Betsy left her hospital bed to testify.
Betsy’s testimony was condensed. Her testimony was originally supposed to be spread over two days. By taping, it was combined into the finale on February 1st.
Betsy became more certain. In the outline, Betsy isn’t sure she recalls a snake. By airtime, she is much more confident about what happened in the boat.
The jury reaction was softened. The outline notes that the jury clearly doesn’t believe her. That detail was excised by tape day.
The Ray / Hal / Arlene fight was moved up. The fight between Ray and Hal in front of Arlene only starts on Friday in the outlines and continues the following Monday. By airtime, the full confrontation plays out on Friday. The outlines also don’t include Ray’s line that he “really cares” about Arlene. That was added on set.

So what would have happened the next week?

The Outline for the Week of February 4, 1980

Betsy lived.

Her test results come back fine. Her collapse was a simple case of exhaustion.

Mia and Elliott commiserate over dinner. Mia is definitely feeling remorse and Elliott is genuinely concerned for Betsy’s health. However, he is still determined to send Ben to prison. When Mia interrupts him, he reminds her that they still have a deal and promises he’ll recommend that Ben only serve a short sentence.

By the end of the week, Betsy is ready to testify again. She is steadier and more resolute on the stand. But Elliott gets her to admit she only recalls the events from a dream. Bruce and Elliott then give their final summations to the jury.

Meg and Tom

Meg is worried about what will happen to Ben, but she is desperate to hold onto the much younger Tom. In a scene following Betsy’s collapse, however, she projects confidence with her sister Van.

Meg and Tom’s plan is to get married, especially now that she has dropped the malpractice lawsuit against Liane. But after making sure Betsy is okay at the hospital, Tom takes Liane home.

Liane still hasn’t let on that she’s regained feeling in her legs, but they’re not strong enough for her to walk. Meg is upset when she learns from Bruce that Tom took Liane home. She confronts him, but he doesn’t let on that he and Liane kissed. She tells him she loves him but doesn’t want any strings attached. He clearly does, but has yet to tell her that he and Meg are engaged to be married.

Arlene, Ray, and Hal

Arlene is distraught that she can’t convince Ray that the baby is really his. She tells Dr. Graham and her mother Carrie that she has decided she wants an abortion. Carrie is horrified that it has gone this far and insists that she and Arlene go away on a vacation so Arlene can relax and think it over. Arlene says she doesn’t want to see Ray again.

Amy’s Secret

Amy still hasn’t played her cards and revealed to Bruce that she is his daughter, or that her mother ended up in a mental institution — something for which she blames Bruce.

Her confidant Joel knows her secret and constantly puts the moves on her. Amy, however, has feelings for Steve. She finally shares a kiss with him after making him dinner. One complication: Steve is very fond of Bruce and Van. If only he knew what Amy was really up to.

Kim and Tran

Kim is packing for her and Tran’s trip to see a dying Jean. Tony agrees to drop them off at the airport and pick them up. Kim has to remind Tran that Tony isn’t going with them.

Is There More?

Absolutely.

As associate producer Paul Sladkus told a reporter as the show wrapped, “What do I do with all this stuff? We have a future storyline for six months.”

Is that also in the Marcus collection? Perhaps.

There is a miscellaneous file in the archive that contains story projections, conference notes, and other material. One day, myself or some other researcher may search through that folder to see if any of the projections go beyond February 1st.

For now, we finally know: Betsy lived, the trial continued, and Rosehill was supposed to go on.

Native New Englander Mike Poirier has written for numerous maritime journals and national newspapers. His research and memorabilia collection can be seen in many liner books and TV specials, including Erik Larson’s best seller, “Dead Wake”. He also co-authored, “Into the Danger Zone” with Tad Fitch.