He Said/She Said: As the World Turns

Almost two weeks ago (yikes!), our SoapWikiJohn blogged about the final week of ATWT in the latest installment of our He Said/She Said: ATWT Finale series. He loved Jack and Carly’s wedding, Parker’s decision to become a cop and Katie getting a happy ending with Chris. He was also highly critical of the final week, his major complaints being: No enough returns, useless recasts of Liberty and Hope, lack of Martha Byrne, no happy ending for Luke or Nuke and too much Janet. Judging from what I read on the blogosphere, twitter and in the mainstream soap press, J’s thoughts mirrored what many fans felt about the finale. For the most part, I agree with a lot of what’s been said, though I do seem to hold some unpopular opinions (be prepared for a defense of Janet!) It’s been awhile since the final week of ATWT aired, so forgive me if some of the things I mentioned were aired before the final week. So here’s my roundup, Good/Bad/Ugly Remix style!


The Bad:


:( Not enough Returns (I would have loved to have seen or even just heard about: Andy, Julie, Caleb, Lien, Duncan, Jessica, Shannon, Aaron, Iva, etc…) where were the Old Clips??, and why was Eileen Fulton (Lisa) relegated to a cameo appearance at the end?? And where the hell was Emma (Kathleen Widdoes)?? 25 years on the show and she’s nowhere to be found at the end. A Damn Shame!!

:( Was it me, or did the characters seem to be isolated from each other, in their own little bubbles not aware of what was happening around town and/or suffering from temporary amnesia? Did Emily know that Chris almost died? Where was Luke’s family while he was at the hospital waiting to find out if Chris’s heart operation was a success? And while Alison was supporting Casey through the Chris Ordeal, did she forget about her own complicated past with Chris – surely she must have felt something considering she had once loved him? Would it have killed them to have a Katie/Jack scene? Or a Paul/Dusty scene?

:( I love Katie (Terri C is wonderful and OLTL is lucky to get her!), but it seemed to me the last few weeks turned into As Katie’s World Turns. While some complained there was too much Janet, I felt that the show really pushed Katie and her relationship with Chris down viewers’ throats. The relationship was rushed and it seemed TPTB were treating Katie/Chris like the show’s supercouple, though they obviously weren’t. I understand their thinking – they needed people to care that Chris was dying, and Katie and Chris were going to be the Next Hughes family. Just as ATWT began with the original Hughes Family, the show wanted to give viewers the feeling that the tradition, in a sense, would be carried on (off screen) with Katie and Chris. I get it, but I don’t agree with it.

:( Luke not getting a happy ending was the biggest bunch of bullsh*t ever… no wait…that’s the second biggest bunch of bullsh*t ever. The Biggest Bunch of Bullsh*t Ever was TPTB claiming that only the gay characters not getting a happy ending was just a coincidence. They kill off Reid (one of the best new characters on any soap in the last few years), leave the fate of Nuke open-ended, and show us a heartbroken Luke at the end – meanwhile Boring as Hell Saint Allison and Casey get a happy ending? PLEASE!! God Forbid they let the gays be happy on this damn show! Personally, I wish they had killed Saint Alison and given her heart to Chris. This would have given us some great stuff for both the Hughes and Stewart families: could you imagine the scenes between Susan and Kim/Bob, and how torn Casey would have been (his girlfriend dies so his uncle can live.) It would have been great drama AND Reid could have lived!!!

The Ugly:


:( Martha Byrne not being allowed to come back for the end of the show was the WORST decision! It was a slap in the face to Martha and the fans. Noelle Beck (a lovely and talented actress) offered to leave the role, Martha was more than willing to come back, the fans wanted it, the other actors wanted it, yet… TPTB would have none of it. A good example of how pride, ego, and bullheadedness can interfere with what’s best for the show. In a recent interview, the terrific and underrated, Jon Hensley (Holden) said that in his final scenes he was channeling Martha – well so was I!

The Good:

:) Happy Endings for Bob & Kim, Carly & Jack, Dusty & Janet, Barbara & Henry, Emily & Paul, Katie & Chris, Tom & Margo, Gwen & Will, Lily & Holden (who were well on their way back to each other by the final episode), John & Lucinda, and perhaps even Lucinda and Lily!
:) John and Lucinda!! Finally!! This was seriously my #1 wish! From the day Larry Bryggman left, I’d desperately wanted him to come back and reunite with Elizabeth Hubbard!! I love these two and together they were magic!!

:) In its final couple of weeks the show went back to basics: it was about family and friends and love and friendship, life and death and everything in between. The last show, in particular, seemed to stress that. Bob retiring and coming to terms with ending an important chapter in his life was a nice way to help audiences find some closure and come to terms with the ending of a show that had been an important part in their lives. Bob’s narration throughout the episode had a fittingly Our Town-esque feel to it and reminded me of what I love most about soaps: that they’re stories about people who we come to love (and hate) and care about – much like neighbors in a small town.

:) The actors gave it their all. Sure there were a few weak links featured in the final weeks of the show, but for the most part every actor gave superb performances. Likewise, the writing was wonderful and the show could not have looked more beautiful. Despite this being the end of the show and working under god only knows what kind of restrictions, the cast and crew were determined to go out with their heads held high!! Until the very end, As the World Turns was a class act!

Wow, this was a lot longer than I intended it to be! I’ll save my In Defense of Janet for next time, lol.

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938

(**No, SoapWikiJohn, I couldn't possibly have picked a longer name, lol)