Forget about Fashion Week, All My Children is its own trendsetter. And let me tell you readers, kidnapping and abduction is all the rage for the spring season.
Usually when we're talking about kidnappings, there's a baby involved and, quite possibly, a "who's the daddy" saga attached to it. Not this time. Two grown adults were kidnapped last week, both for totally different reasons. One... one might have been justified. The other, though, was a little creepy to me.
When Ryan Lavery wants something, there seems to be nothing that can stop him from getting what he wants. He's a little spoiled brat in that regard. Greenlee awoke and found herself being held prisoner in the turret room, the same room where she'd been locked up by Kendall on the day that she and Ryan were to marry a few years ago. Remember? That was the same ceremony where Greenlee and Kendall went synchronized swim-fighting in the pool. Nothing says romance like taking your ex-wife hostage and dumping her in a room that evokes such happy memories.
Meanwhile, Erica decided that her under-construction new home needed a new knickknack, a tchotchke in the form of her old lover, David Hayward. Actually, it really was David Hayward. Am I the only one that can see a frail and loony 100-year-old Erica Kane sitting in a rocking chair, shawl wrapped around her, looking up at a wall of trophy heads of all the men she's bedded? Sort of like a hunting lodge. Okay, so maybe my imagination is a little on the overactive side.
When David first returned to Pine Valley, it looked like he might be killed off in an epic whodunit saga. No one likes this guy -- not even his daughter. A year or two later? Still no one likes him. However, it's interesting that in several different episodes it's been mentioned that David and Erica share a past relationship. Might this be some indication that they're on a collision course with romance? Do you want to see Erica and David involved? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on that. Since you're probably wondering, here are mine. I liked David and Erica as a couple back in the 1990s. It worked on a lot of different levels. Remember that horrible facial scarring/Phantom of the Soap Opera storyline? And horrible doesn't refer to the scarring, if you catch my drift. To pair them together now... I am not sure that it works. David is a little too evil for Erica. I don't see her being the "I can make you good again" kinda lady. I also don't see Erica trekking over to the dark side to be David's mistress of dirty deeds.
When did Angie Hubbard become such a defeatist? I was not yet watching All My Children at the height of Angie and Jesse's first go-around, so I am not sure if she's always been this way or not. However, this woman is a skilled physician, a mom, a wife... and she cracked under just about any kind of work-related pressure. She was so strong when Madison was messing with her family, but at the hospital she's ready to call it quits at the drop of a hat. I'd much rather see a ballsy Angie at work, maybe like Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy. You know, tough as nails at work, but with a sensitive side that only a few, select people know about.
JR needs a bone marrow transplant. It was interesting that the moment that was mentioned on-screen, I started receiving emails from you guys saying that that was how All My Children would be writing off David Canary: Adam would die undergoing a procedure to save JR's life. In the next episode or so, it was revealed that the hospital would not even consider Adam as a donor because of his health issues. Strangely, Adam was shown talking to JR about having rustled up Palmer Cortlandt somewhere in Europe to see if he could be tested. If you're wondering, those scenes were taped before the news broke that James Mitchell (Palmer) had passed away in real life.
Meanwhile, there's a mysterious Sonia Reyes whose name has popped up. This is a soap, so one has to wonder if Adam and Sonia might have a child together... perhaps one going by the name Damon Miller. Again, just thinking out loud. Of course, if Damon ends up being a Chandler... that would make the love-hate relationship between Colby and Damon really creepy.
I have to admit that I am heartbroken that David Canary will soon be leaving All My Children. I feel a bit selfish for saying that I want David to continue working on All My Children and not retire. He's certainly earned his retirement, but by him retiring, it means that I won't be able to enjoy seeing him on my television screen every day. I'm sure many of you feel the same way.
Canary's on-screen son, Jacob Young (JR Chandler), was a guest on Soap Central Live earlier this month, and here's what he had to say when I asked what it was like to work with such a powerhouse. [To listen to Jacob Young's appearance on Soap Central Live, click here. You can stream the show or download it for your later enjoyment.]
"It's kind of hard not to have a dynamic with David because he's just such a force," Young praised. "You know, as far as an actor, he's not just an adamant professional every single day, but also such a talent."
Canary has asserted that he will return to AMC from time to time in the future, but we all know how that goes. How many friends or neighbors have said "we'll keep in touch" before moving away... and then over time... the phone calls and emails just start to fade away. I hope that's not the case here.
Here are some random thoughts that are the talk of other soaps -- but also have impact on All My Children:
For the past week or so, a massive blizzard has been wreaking havoc on Llanview, a town that's literally a stone's throw from Pine Valley. I don't think there's been as much as a flurry in Pine Valley. Damned global warming!
General Hospital has announced that Robin Christopher will reprise her role as Skye Chandler beginning next month. There had been so much talk that maybe Robin would want to return to All My Children now that the show is in Los Angeles. Guess not. I think it's a huge, huge shame, especially with David Canary leaving the show this spring. There is a lot of Skye history that has been addressed on General Hospital that most AMC fans know nothing about -- Skye isn't a biological Chandler, for one. Maybe General Hospital can rework its scripts for a day to have Skye say something like, "Hey, I need to leave town for a day to take care of something" and then drop by AMC for Adam's big exit.
If all else fails, maybe we can kidnap her and take her back to Pine Valley.
dan
