All My Children Tribute Thread

[Maxim]

As I said before... The Adam, Dixie storyline is the only one I'm really enjoying right now. 

[DRW50]

Thanks for the clip and review @Maxim . I am glad to see all the appreciation of Nancy Addison - it is disappointing this role didn't last longer as it would be a half a decade before she'd get more soap work, and she was born for soaps. I don't know if you've ever seen her on Loving or Ryan's Hope but I think you'd enjoy her (even if Jill could be insufferable).

What impresses me most with the gaslighting story is how simple it is. All Adam does is move an item. I'm sure it progresses from there, but I appreciate the lack of light shows and endless stunts.

[Khan]

I can't speak for everyone, but I didn't see the point of bringing her back in 1994, nor did I see the point of reforming her or pairing her with "Uncle Porkchop."  When Janet went to prison for murdering Will Cortlandt, that should've been the last we saw of her, at least until Amanda was a teenager or adult and went to visit her biological mother for the first time in prison; and as much as I loved seeing Robin Mattson back on daytime after the cancellation of SANTA BARBARA, she could've just as well joined AMC or any other soap playing a new and completely different part.

Much could have been explained with five, simple words: "Janet was better in bed."

Edited March 25 by Khan

[DemetriKane]

And all of them Brooke/Adam/Dixie won Emmys for that storyline.

[Franko]

"After all, Trevor, I'm crazy -- not boring."

[Maxim]

Oh My God... now I remember her from Ryan's Hope! I did not realize this is the same girl. I had seen some episodes from the beginning... and WOW... She is so different there. Is she a villain or a heroine there? That's just a 10 second off-topic question. And speaking of off-topic - your profile picture is RAAAAWR. 

 

 

Wonderful! Then I have to give it to MDP - she has strengths and weaknesses. And I appreciate her when she's good.  Late July-Early August was superb. I hope the show gets back to that level now... when it focuses mostly on Adam and Dixie.

One thing I loved is how at the beginning of the storyline... he called his attorneys and outlined to them... what could happen to Dixie. In other words... he expressed his desire to put her in a mental institution and wanted to know ways he could do it as smoothly as possible. I love when... us... the viewers... know more than the characters. That's a trick I can give praise for. 

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And I will definitely miss Karen. I saw great potential in her. She was a perfect addition to that Manor of Horrors. Thank God they didn't kill her off! 

One thing I forgot to add - Niko and Cecily finally work for me. Another positive. I did not expect for them to turn into this adorable comedic relief... because at the beginning they felt very unnatural and forced. Forced-funny. Now... they are just funny. Again, if Cecily turns the volume of her voice a little bit... I will be grateful. That girl loves to scream and talk loudly. 

 

 

 

[alwaysAMC]

And I LOVE your new signature and avatar/profile picture

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[Maxim]

 

[Maxim]

Up to August 18th, 1989

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Dixie in the House of Horrors

Great 2 episodes. With the exception of Nina and her sudden re-activation in Cliff's life. Boooring. That's a storyline I hope I am not going to see. This show drops a lot of it's ideas, so I'm hoping this is one of these moments. Nina can pack and go. Never to be seen again. Bye.

Now let's get to the good parts.

Adam turned a beautiful night out into a nightmare for his "wife". He presented her with an updated medallion (with his and Adam Jr's pictures) and then proceeded to take it and gaslight her into believing she has lost it. Dixie got so confused and messed up (he was making her drink all night) that she caused an ugly scene for everyone to see. I see what you are doing, Adam. You are leaving a trail of evidence and witnesses who when the time comes can testify in your interest. Clever. And sick.

But that was not all.

Later that night, Adam continued his disturbing agenda under the roof of Horror Manor. Dixie wanted to sleep next to her child and decided to stay in his room. Oh, sweet darling naive soul. Awaking for a moment, she decided to grab him a fresh bottle from downstairs... Leaving him unattended for a minute. That was enough for Adam to sneak in and grab the baby. The desired effect was easily obtained and soon we had mentally distraught Dixie calling for help, thinking someone had taken her child again. This is so sadistic. Almost unbearable. 

One little side note - I loved this tasty scene between Adam and Brooke in the episode before. Adam... once again begged Brooke for attention... But she was not hearing it and believing Crocodile tears. She told him she is quite disgusted he is using the post-kidnapping situation to draw her into his web again. She dismissed him. He was left looking like an idiot. Ha.

Something else.

The other storyline I care to comment on, and I can't believe I'm saying it... are Niko and Cecily. Tonight... they nearly made me tear up... Because after months and months of build up, our two lovebirds finally said they wanted each other and had one of the most passionate kisses I've seen in soaps. Woah.

Buuuuuuut... that was just before wicked aunt Phoebe and Cecily's annoying mother came to ruin the fun. God I want them to be together so much. I've grown to love them. It was a very slow and painful process, but they (the writers) managed to gaslight me into adoring them.

The end.

So this is from me tonight. I'm well fed with drama and suspense... And some charming sexy comedy as the cherry on top. The show is pass the annoying phase - Marissa is dead... Erica is somewhere far away looking for a ghost. The annoying storylines are minimized and we are back to what is working.

Highlight moment - Adam takes the baby away... to terrorize Dixie. Spooky and crazy. Love it.

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[DRW50]

Thanks @Maxim . I did generally like Cecily (no comment on her return). Again Dixie and Adam are effective with a minimalist touch. You could have told this story in the '60s. I wonder if Agnes has taken over by this time.

[Maxim]

It's veeery effective so far. I even had my husband perk up and watch with me for a moment... Aaaand he is usually anti-any new soap I watch... Accuses me of having addiction to soaps...

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And... You've got me interested in this idea now... Is it possible that Agnes has taken over?

[EricMontreal22]

Yeah, I was a teen when all this aired too and maybe now would feel differently, but I was completely on Janet's side for her redemption (as crazy as it sounds *now* when I read story recaps.)  We also of course had her mother visiting and showing us just how abusive she had been.

Well you're not alone--Eric as a circus clown I think made a number of magazine "worst story" lists...

Brooke is one of my fave soap characters of all time.  I remember after she left the show (when Frons wanted her demoted to recurring and Barr decided to just leave instead) I actually had dreams where she came back to AMC and I was so happy lol  So I loved her involvement in the Hulu version--it was disappointing that David Canary wasn't able to act more, but we now know why that was.

[Maxim]

I love Brooke too. I like how intelligent she is. She really is the only one giving Adam what he deserves in terms of verbally destroying him with facts. She reads him like an open book at times. And she does it with empathy which is the most brutal way to deal with people like that. Because they crave aggression and primitive conflict. She does not give him that. Brooke just says the truth, but it's conveyed in such a way that you feel pity towards Adam. That really freaks him out. And probably makes him want to possess her even more. I don't even want to say love... Because I'm not sure Adam is capable of that.

Edited March 26 by Maxim

[DRW50]

I think Brooke could be overhated (when I got into AMC in the '90s, she was often loathed online), although the material for her for from the mid '90s to 2000 (the last year she was written for) is genuinely terrible much of time. Even a story that should have worked (adopting Laura) never really pans out, due to a number of factors (like Laura being so bitter they even had a story where she hated Santa Claus...). None of that is Julia Barr's fault, and she did give excellent performances when given the chance (like the Jim Thomasen mess).

Edited March 26 by DRW50

[EricMontreal22]

Five or so years later when there's more custody stuff with Dixie, I remember how endlessly she sang You Are My Sunshine.

And the endless Pierce recasts didn't help.  Still, I guess I find Barr so appealing that her terrible stories didn't bother me as much as they might have.

You're husband makes being addicted to soaps sound like a BAD thing

I believe during this time Agnes Nixon was heavily involved with the writer's room and it does seem like one of her stories, but who knows.  DePriest's stint is odd for so many reasons though I do get the sense that she was brought in as one of FMB's choices to shake the soap up from the ratings rut it was under--but I always wonder if it was always the plan to have Nixon return for the 20th anniversary?