After weeks of hype, scoops and spoilers, message board fodder and threats against columnists to not reveal a thing lest they be flogged and embargoed out of the business, All My Children's big murder mystery kicked into high gear when it turned out that the victim was not really one of the characters on the cover of Soap Opera Digest. For the network, all this was great. ABC Daytime got a bump in the Nielsens and it seems the post-murder intrigue, i.e. whodunit, is keeping viewers DVR'ing, Soapnet watching, or just planning on watching during their lunch hours (like the old days). But getting back to the victim, AMC had a chance to do something really bold and dramatic. Instead head writer Chuck Pratt Jr. played it safe. More on the victim, including the name in case you don't know by now (yes, that's a warning), after the jump.
Killing Stuart Chandler rather than Adam Chandler was the coward's way out. Stuart is not a relevant character. He's the sweet, slow twin brother of Adam. He's the good brother, the innocuous one. Stuart hasn't had an important story in a decade. Adam, on the other hand, is evil incarnate. Everyone wanted him dead. His death would have been huge. And risky. By having Stuart shot because the killer -- whomever that is -- thought that he/she was taking aim at Adam was cop-out. It was a safe choice, not a audacious one.
As for David Canary, the five-time Daytime Emmy winner, he gets to continue playing the more interesting character, Adam. But get this, he'll also be donning Stuart's argyle sweaters in the future as well. It turns out that Adam is going to be seeing Stuart as a physical manifestation of his conscience. Make that his guilty conscience.
So, you see, AMC really, really hedged its bets with this murder tale. Sigh...I expected more from Chuck.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-23-2009 @ 1:05PM
faith said...
Any storyline that gives Mr. Canary a vehicle for more screen time good and or evil, is a winner for this viewer. I am so glad to know the character will not be put to rest forever. This will be heart wreching drama. And this actor never fails to deliver. He just becomes more incredible with time. He came in deeply rich, vast and interesting, and he has never rested on his laurels. I have watched lightly as they have used real meaty talents, such as him and Palmer, sparingly. When they bring out the heat, I get back to it. Thanks to the genious' on board who dared to create some meat for this uber talented professional. Now, let's watch him elevate the material he is given. Ah, to be in a scene with that man, you know he would raise your Q points just blowing evil smoke rings in your direction.
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5-23-2009 @ 2:12PM
Debi said...
Was anyone really surprised that it was Stuart? The day the murder was announced it should have been obvious. A contract player was going to be murdered, yet no one's contract was up, no rumors of anyone leaving.If a soap states that the storyline will impact everyone in the town and change everyone's lives, you can bet it will be a short term impact & really no change much in the long run. Soap's can't afford to change very much as far as story goes & don't seem to have vision as far as long term story. They won't listen to the people who actually watch their shows, they are too busy chasing that 18-25 demographic. They want to know why they are being taken off the air and losing ratings? Try watching your own shows for a month and you will quickly be able to figure it out.
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5-23-2009 @ 5:31PM
Dana said...
Does this story line sound familiar to anyone? It is pretty much the same story as Days of Our Lives, when the strangler was out to kill Deidre Hall's character Marlena. Everyone thought Marlena was dead because she was hiding out, but the killer really got Marlena's twin, Sam. The story line was done well that time. This just feels like a second rate rip off. AMC hasn't been good in a long time.
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5-24-2009 @ 5:30PM
Melissa said...
Why in the world would you have ever expected more from Chuck Pratt? My God. When he was at GH, the show sucked twice as much as it sucks now.
I just pray he never goes to OLTL, the only ABC soap left that doesn't hurt my head.
And killing Stuart was a safe idea, but it was not really a rip off. Killing Stuart is like killing Monica or Bobbie on GH. They're not around much, but damn they mean a lot to people all over the canvas, which creates story. Yeah, killing Adam would have worked too, but it's not the disaster you remark. GH only killing Leyla and Trevor during their hsopital crisis was idiotic.
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5-24-2009 @ 6:26PM
Harry said...
Reminded me of Arrested Development when they killed off the cameo!
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5-28-2009 @ 9:37AM
hallrsc said...
All My Children has been outstanding for several weeks and superior during Stuart's demise. I simply can't wait to watch the next episode, something that hasn't happened for quite a while. I've watched All My Children for 31 years and am so happy for their success. I'll miss the dear character of Stuart. Thank goodness this storyline didn't sacrifice an actor.
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