It really was revolutionary as far as storylines go. At that time, HIV medications were in their infancy and the fact that Stone had already advanced to AIDS by the time he was diagnosed made it pretty obvious that he would not survive. I remember that great pains were taken to make sure that his illness was medically accurate and progressed in real time (like his loss of vision). I think many viewers were hoping that Stone would end up surviving with some far-fetched treatment as often happens on soap operas but that would have been very inappropriate considering the fact that so many people were dying from AIDS at that time.

Still though, I wouldn't mind having Michael Sutton return to GH in a different role (it has been 25 years after all)...

I was around 15-16 years old when watching that storyline. I thought it was done so beautifully but honestly, watching GH in the 90's, most of the stories were done very well. (Monica's breast cancer, Elizabeth's rape, BJ's accident also at the top of my list). Nowhere near the crap we get in the 2000's. The storyline opened my eyes a little in the sense that straight people can get HIV/AIDS. Stone got HIV from sharing a needle then sexually transmitted it to Robin. I always thought it was a "gay" disease - and this is coming from someone who was grappling with my own sexuality and eventually will find out that I liked other men a few years later. lol.

Michael Sutton seems very happy and successful these days as a high-end real estate agent and his character, in my opinion, was way too iconic to come back as another character. But what do I know, they created Bill Eckert. lol

@justavictim24 said:

I was around 15-16 years old when watching that storyline. I thought it was done so beautifully but honestly, watching GH in the 90's, most of the stories were done very well. (Monica's breast cancer, Elizabeth's rape, BJ's accident also at the top of my list). Nowhere near the crap we get in the 2000's. The storyline opened my eyes a little in the sense that straight people can get HIV/AIDS. Stone got HIV from sharing a needle then sexually transmitted it to Robin. \

If I remember correctly, Stone got it from sex with a girl named Crystal who was an IV drug user and then gave it to Robin..

@mravenez said:

@justavictim24 said:

I was around 15-16 years old when watching that storyline. I thought it was done so beautifully but honestly, watching GH in the 90's, most of the stories were done very well. (Monica's breast cancer, Elizabeth's rape, BJ's accident also at the top of my list). Nowhere near the crap we get in the 2000's. The storyline opened my eyes a little in the sense that straight people can get HIV/AIDS. Stone got HIV from sharing a needle then sexually transmitted it to Robin. \

If I remember correctly, Stone got it from sex with a girl named Crystal who was an IV drug user and then gave it to Robin..

I thought it was from the drug needle but you may be correct, it's only been 25 years since I watched that storyline. haha.

@gbolling1984 said:

So I’m 36 years old and began watching GH in the 90s when I stayed with my grandmother as a kid. The first thing I can really remember as a kid were characters like Karen, Jagger, Stone, Brenda, Robin and Sonny. I can vaguely remember how the aids storyline played out but i randomly started watching scenes on YouTube from the moment Stone tells Robin he’s HIV positive until his ultimate death and even through very bad quality YouTube videos I teared up. It brought a lot of it back for me but I was so young then that I really don’t remember how poignant it was in real time. For those who were old enough and watching then, what was your reaction watching that story play out for over a year? I know it still resonates with people so I was curious to hear what it was like watching as it unfolded.

I loved it! My friends and I still talk about which of the teen relationships will be the next Robin and Stone.

Looking back, I can see it for the beginning of the Sonny apologist writing that it was, but it doesn't spoil my memories of Robin and Stone.

I too was a teenager watching this storyline and it was devastating. My older sister and I had to mentally "prepare ourselves" to watch GH in those days -- it was heartbreaking to watch Stone's health decline and how it impacted those around him, so much sadness. I remember that when Stone was bedridden, there was quite a few times my sister would say to me "I don't have the strength to watch GH today." In fact, for much of it, we would pile up a week of episodes on a VHS tape and power through them on one night, because it was too depressing and hard to watch everyday.

That being said, it was an important and well written storyline. Looking back, I think it took real guts for GH to air it in "real time" and allow it to develop slowly the way it did and should be told. It was powerful to watch and witness, I can tell you that. Iconic GH.

Loathed Stone and cheered his death.

@gbolling1984 said:

So I’m 36 years old and began watching GH in the 90s when I stayed with my grandmother as a kid. The first thing I can really remember as a kid were characters like Karen, Jagger, Stone, Brenda, Robin and Sonny. I can vaguely remember how the aids storyline played out but i randomly started watching scenes on YouTube from the moment Stone tells Robin he’s HIV positive until his ultimate death and even through very bad quality YouTube videos I teared up. It brought a lot of it back for me but I was so young then that I really don’t remember how poignant it was in real time. For those who were old enough and watching then, what was your reaction watching that story play out for over a year? I know it still resonates with people so I was curious to hear what it was like watching as it unfolded.

@revelle said:

I too was a teenager watching this storyline and it was devastating. My older sister and I had to mentally "prepare ourselves" to watch GH in those days -- it was heartbreaking to watch Stone's health decline and how it impacted those around him, so much sadness. I remember that when Stone was bedridden, there was quite a few times my sister would say to me "I don't have the strength to watch GH today." In fact, for much of it, we would pile up a week of episodes on a VHS tape and power through them on one night, because it was too depressing and hard to watch everyday.

That being said, it was an important and well written storyline. Looking back, I think it took real guts for GH to air it in "real time" and allow it to develop slowly the way it did and should be told. It was powerful to watch and witness, I can tell you that. Iconic GH.

Talking about the real time aspect of it. I watched a 25th anniversary virtual thing they did with Kimberly (Robin) & Michael (Stone) and he said he was told about a year and a half before the character died that he would be killed off & that Aids would be the cause. So he took the time to get healthy in real life and put on some weight and then he gradually lost the weight to show a steady decline in the characters health and then he cut his hair and so on. I honestly don't think soaps are afforded that much time to really dig into a story like this anymore. They also said since they lived the love story and then lived his fight with Aids that they were just mentally wiped by the time the story ended. Michael said he barely saw his friends during that year and a half because his life was so dedicated to getting the story right. I can commend that

@cosmoeticadotcom said:

Loathed Stone and cheered his death.

Poorly conceived and acted character.

@amyspen said:

@cosmoeticadotcom said:

Loathed Stone and cheered his death.