AMC: Tuesday, January 5, 2010

[Jonathan]

I'm not sure we're watching the same show. This never happened.

[AllMyDaysatGH]

O_O You don't remember Zach shooting Josh, January 2009?? All My Children??

[Jonathan]

Huh? I really don't know who you're referring to.

[AllMyDaysatGH]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=D2QxBDAPFRw

[Jonathan]

This is the first episode I've watched twice in a long time. I loved that the show started out with some of the tent pole characters: Adam, Erica, Tad, Brooke.

I think Ray MacDonnell did a fine job as did Lee Meriwether. I'm going to miss them. I hope they visit often.

The episode was shot and edited well. You couldn't even tell that Kelly did most of her standups in front of a green screen.

I also liked that Hayley had some interaction with both Adam and JR (which we didn't see yesterday) like she was doing the interviews herself. That was a nice touch.

It's always tough to do a show like this with flashbacks because you want to make sure you pick out some good ones and I think the show did, so bravo to the production assistants who I'm sure viewed tons of footage.

Agnes.

[DeeeDee]

LaRue & Consuelos knocked it out of the park.

[Jonathan]

I'm having problems viewing on YouTube. Thanks though.

[SFK]

Jonathan, stop Frances Farmering AllmyDaysatGh!

Someone made a valid point about YouTube earlier, I really didn't feel that the show was too light on flashback clips. I kind of feel like if you are an AMC fan of some years, at this point you've seen all of the flashback clips they're ever (and always) going to pull out.

I guess they had the fans' "best interests" in mind, but it seemed like they barely showed AB's face when they flashed back to Babe. Am I imagining this? Like, "If we just show the back of her head, you can pretend it's Alexa." And it dawned on me that JL as Opal was speaking so sweetly about her onscreen daughter (she said "Jen-nay" like Forrest Gump ) that she never got to work with, it's crazy how long it's been.

[DRW50]

It's weird how even when Erica has been doing this schtick for so long, I can still smile when she goes on about what a big name she is. Perhaps because it's a reminder that the show doesn't take her too seriously, as they do with some other characters. I really liked the way she said she went to Hollywood and New York to become a star, and she did, but that wasn't enough for her. No mention of all the career struggles.

I can't get past Greg and that Sam Elliott mustache. He's still very handsome though. AMC really struck gold with their early 80s casting. Laurence Lau's breathy line delivery cracked me up.

I was also reminded of the gold they've struck with the Hubbards. They're so natural together.

I liked the way MEK played the part where Tad decided...not to talk about how he came to Pine Valley. And even though Lee Meriwether didn't play Ruth for as long as Mary Fickett, I still believed I was saying goodbye to Ruth and Joe. That's nothing against Mary -- I wasn't a regular viewer during most of her run.

I teared up when Erica was talking about Myrtle. It hurt even more than the other deaths, probably because Eileen is actually gone The grief over Jenny and Julia worked for me mostly because of the actors. The part about Stuart was unbearable. I was actually relieved when they had Adam walk away and Hayley comfort him, because that sort of took me out of the scene, which I needed.

[quartermainefan]

About Mary Fickett, I think this was bad judgment on the part of the show to ignore her completely. Lee Meriwether has been acceptable as Ruth II, but RealRuth was just as much a cornerstone of the show as Phoebe, Mona, and Myrtle. In a clip show I don't think the audience would have objected to seeing the real Ruth. Then again, I don't think the audience would have objected to seeing clips either--and hearing them at the same time. In celebrating the 40 years of AMC, I just don't understand the heavy usage of Babe's mother, Annie, and a few people who I could not tell you even who they are. Phoebe got ignored almost completely too, as did so many other key characters from days gone by.

[SFK]

I see what you're saying about MF, who is not in the best of health btw, someone posted a very interesting article about her a few months back. Of course these were different circumstances, but I loved how GH flashed back to all three Edwards in various scenes over the years when Anna Lee/Lila passed away. I took notice of the fact that they seemed to focus more on Myrtle than Phoebe or Mona, and I think that has everything to do with the fact that she's the one who passed most recently, and who the current regime is probably most familiar with, and therefore fond of. Mona, Phoebe, Myrtle, they all got beautiful tributes on the show. I do see what you mean in terms of MF's contribution.

I would also like to add that I appreciate how unlike Phoebe's funeral episode, the show stuck with the documentary premise and resisted the urge to break away to scenes of Greenlee monologuing in her hospital bed.

[DRW50]

I think they wanted to try to also focus on the present, or more heavily focus on the present, but one of the downsides is that some of what goes on in the present is not great. I thought it was smart of them to put some attention on some of their better recent stories, like Brot. I just skipped everything with Babe and with JR and Marisa. I also skipped everything involving Greenlee or Ryan, and Annie, as the writing for her is so convoluted I didn't want to get a headache.

[SFK]

I sat there and thought, "David Canary is amazing." Here I am looking at this ONE man alive and well playing these two disparate roles, grieving for himself so to speak, as that montage of scenes with Stuart sporting his Stuart smile brought tears to my eyes.

[Jonathan]

He's amazing. I hope he doesn't ever leave the show.

[DRW50]

I just felt so angry and lost when I saw Stuart again, because he really was so much more than just a character. I couldn't watch any of that death storyline; even seeing it on there was so hard to sit through. I really miss him.