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!

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

Martha Bryne "I Haven't Even Been Contacted"

Well isn't this just great. Actress Martha Bryne announced in a recent interview with
SOAP CENTRAL LIVE that As The World Turns has not contacted her for a return as either Rose of Lily for the finale. With that said the actress would be more then happy to return, even if it was for a day.

Now keep in mind that there is still some time left before the finale shoots, but it is not looking likely for a Martha Bryne return.

Are you dissapointed in this news? Would you have liked to see Martha return? Or are you happy that she isn't returning? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

WLS Posts ATWT Bible!

Hey All! I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to check out what's been going on at other soap sites lately. Thankfully, fellow Denial Island blogger soapwikijohn told me that the awesome folks over at We Love Soaps have been posting excerpts of the Original Bible for As The World Turns (formerly As The Earth Turns - *big hug* to whoever decided to change the name, lol). Martha Byrne (ex-Lily/ATWT, ex-Andrea/GH, Catherine/Gotham The Series) was gracious enough to hand over this incredible historical document to the WLS guys and they've been posting it in installments. This is a real treat for ATWT fans as well as all Soap Opera Buffs/Geeks.

Here's a link to Part 3 of the installment (from here you can easily access Parts 1 and 2): As The Earth Turns: Part 3

As always, thanks for reading! Hope everyone is doing well!
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938
03/24/10 - 4:34am

PS. Still doing All Soaps, All Week w/ no fast forwarding or spoilers. I'll try posting about it later today :) And don't forget to vote in our Poll of the Week (over in the top right corner of your screens)!