AMC, baby

All My Children
Original airdate: 2.28.06

I first began watching All My Children when I was 10 years old. My friend Zhanna (pronounced Shj-anna) and I used to watch it at her house when we ate Haagen Daas ice cream. Good times! My mother also watched it at that time, and we'd occassionally watch it together. I've grown up with Tad, Dixie, Erica and Joe.

For some reason I continue to watch for unknown reasons. While on maternity leave, I grew addicted, and the invention of TiVo has not helped. Well, it's helped in terms of aiding this addiction. So even though I'm back at work, I still watch. And so does my husband, by default.

The history of my interest in AMC is a moot point, because who cares? Let's talk Janet from Another Planet. She sure has caused some trouble in Pine Valley lately! And now she's even hurting her daughter, who has been the official reason for her rampage. It's sort of sad...she is so devoted and loving to her little girl (I can relate) that her perception of what is appropriate behavoir is skewed. Now, obviously anyone who was not insane would know better, but with Janet's history, it was inevitable that she would take things too far once she saw how Pine Valley treated little (not so little, really) Amanda. As a side note, I recall when Amanda was conceived, born and trapped in a well as a child on the show. So now that she's a hottie little number is disturbing.

Oh, and by the way, Trevor is totally dead. Like, why hasn't Amanda been able to get a hold of him? I'll tell you why...cause Janet freaked and killed him. That's too bad, because Trevor is a nice dude.

Anyway, Babe. She is an interesting character because the writers continually want to make her sympathetic. Though she has done hateful things - kidnapping is just *one* example - the writers still want you to believe she is a good girl that occassionally does stupid things, all for the right reasons. I am easily manipulated, so I buy it most of the time, but if you really examine what she's done, it would be easy to hate her. I'm actually quite pleased that she has fallen back in love with JR and he hates her again because he assumed she's kidnapped their son. Why wouldn't he think that? She's done nothing buy betray him literally from Day 1 of their relationship. True, his hasty hate is sooo annoying because he's usually wrong, but he has every right to be thinking the worst of Babe.

As for Dixie...I just love Cady McClain. Again - another person from the Old Skool. She is beautiful and a wonderful actress. I've always wanted her back and when she was "dead" 7 years ago, I was bummed. Now she is back with undisclosed reasons for her absence, and I'm definitely interested in finding out why she was away. As for finding Zach in the cemetary...well, that's cool. He makes all storylines more interesting (great actor, can't remember his name...Ian something) and I can see an interesting relationship/friendship between he and Dixie if he & Kendall don't work out. What I also find interesting is that he has great chemistry with Kendall, and pretty much with anyone who walks on the screen - with the exception of Maria, who he was brought on to be with at the very beginning of his introduction to Pine Valley! They has no chemistry, and their relationship was stupid from the very beginning. I have to say...I was always a Maria Santos fan, but was glad to see her go when she did. And even gladder (pretty sure that's not a word) when Zach stayed. Oh, and the fact that they killed Edmund so unceremoniuously...dirty.

But I digress...clearly. One more comment: Ethan's death. Since Ethan broke up with Kendall, his storyline has been relegated to the backburner. He is a handsome dude, good actor, and a nice presence on screen. However, there wasn't anywhere for him to go - not that the writer's made an effort. Strangely, they started to put him with Simone, and it was this weird, out of place storyline that just popped up randomly for the last 4 - 6 months. No one cares about Simone, and then she's with Ethan, even though Kendall is one of her best friends...and Kendall doesn't care - which is not like her because she's always pissed at someone. Anyway, it was clear that they were going nowhere until they got engaged and suddenly, Ethan had stuff to do. And I was like "oh cool! Ethan's back!" And I actually started to like Simone because she was so in love with her fiancee and they had such fun together. And then I started reading the spoilers and realizing that he was going to die. And for what? So they gave him a relationship and a REASON to live so they could KILL him and make us care? Cold! And THEN he doesn't even forgive Zach on his death bed? Colder! I dunno...I was sad to see him go, sadder that he left under such sad circumstances and saddest when Simone started to grieve. My husband thinks that all actors that attempt to cry/be dramatic/grieving, etc. are bad. Doesn't matter who they are or what they try....he just says "oh that's bad acting." But in the case of Simone, I have to diagree. She is devastated, and she's so believable and sympathetic....it's heartbreaking...and I actually think I like her character...after about 20 years of watching this show.

Though she's only been on for about 6 years...but I digress, once again.