After her show Flamingo Road was cancelled in 1982, Cristina Raines began an epic run of television guest appearances. The third such guest role came on an episode of the successful series Fantasy Island. In a story titled "Goin' on Home," Raines played the former flame of a man who left home and subsequently became a country music star (played by real life country singer Mickey Gilley). Things get complicated when it is revealed that Raines' character has married the country singer's younger brother in his absence.
Cristina Raines' appearance on Fantasy Island has some slight connections with some of her earlier work. The episode in which she appeared dealt with country music and, as many are doubtless aware, Raines is famous for appearing in the seminal country & western film Nashville. It may or may not have been intentional by the show's producers to place her in the role which would have her interact with a country singer. Additionally, Cristina Raines also starred in a 1981 TV movie, The Nashville Grab, about a pair of women who kidnap a country singer.
In her Fantasy Island episode, Cristina Raines also gets to use a Southern accent. Her previous series, Flamingo Road, was set in the South and many fans may have enjoyed seeing her revisit the Southern theme.
Regardless of tenuous connections to prior performances, Cristina Raines does a great job as guest star on Fantasy Island. Though her time on-screen is somewhat limited, the wonderful actress makes the most of it. She looks wonderful in this episode and many viewers will certainly recall how stunning she was in the blue dress she wears at the end. Also (SPOILER), in a twist during her final scene, she turns out to be the bad guy and delivers a fiery, enraged tirade at her co-stars. Overall, a very worthwhile entry in the body of work of Cristina Raines!
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