He Said/She Said: As the World Turns

It's been a week and a day since the last episode of As the World Turns aired and I'm still in mourning. ATWT was never "my" show, but I watched it regularly since the 90s and while the show wasn't perfect (what show is?) I thought it had a lot of life left in it. When fellow Denial Island resident SoapWikiJohn suggested we do a series of He Said/She Said pieces about ATWT and it's finale, I thought it would be a nice way to keep the show alive for a little while longer. We're thinking about doing this in Parts - Initial Reactions, Final Week/Final Year, Characters, etc... I hope you enjoy the discussion, and we'd love for you to share your thoughts and memories of ATWT.

To read SoapWikiJohn's Initial Reaction to the ATWT finale, click here

I agree with some of John's observations: the happy endings did seem forced and rushed, and the Reid/Luke/Noah fans were cheated. But generally, I liked the last episode. I cried, I laughed, and I enjoyed all the performances. Not to mention the fact that I got what I'd been wanting desperately for years - John and Lucinda together again!!! I was also moved by Bob's narration (which seemed very Our Town-ish to me). Call me corny, but I liked the happy endings - it's what we fans wish for our favorites, and it's something we can only get when a show ends. Most of all, I liked that the show's finale was really about what soaps should always be about: Love, Family & Friends, and Community.

I didn't love everything though. I was shocked that Eileen Fulton was relegated to what was essentially a cameo appearance, it did seem rushed (as if TPTB just ran out of time and quickly slapped something together at the last minute), not enough interactions between the characters, too many of whom seemed to exist in their own little bubble (Paul and Emily, for instance), not enough returns, and I was hoping for lots of clips. Most of all, it was heartbreaking that Martha Byrne wasn't there. Noelle Beck is a fine actress, but not having Byrne resume her signature role as Lily was criminal and a real slap in the face to the actress and her fans.

All that said, I found the final episode to be satisfying. Sure, it could have been better but I'm hesitant in being too critical because 1) I don't know what kind of restrictions TPTB were working under and 2) It seems useless to pick on a show that's gone now, went out on a high note, and I found to be more entertaining than most of the other soaps still on the air.

So these are my initial reactions. Look for SoapWikiJohn and I to get into a more detailed discussion about ATWT in the upcoming weeks! I know I plan on discussing: my beloved Reid & LuRe, CarJack/Janet/Dusty, favorite stories/characters, and stuff I hated. And I'm sure SoapWikiJohn and I are going to do lots of arguing!!

Thanks for reading! We'd love to hear what you think!
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938