Woah...Woah... What was All My Children thinking? As someone who was not exactly overjoyed with the decision to kill off Stuart the funeral touched my heart.
As someone who seldom advocates the death of any long term character (except when the performer best known in a role is no longer available to play the part or has passed away). All My Children did something right in the way they handled the actual funeral. It wasn't a haphazard mess, but a tribute to the character of Stuart Chandler. Was it perfect, no as there was little focus on Stuart's impact on members of his family who were not in attendance. I can't recall them mentioning Hayley or Skye for example.
Three or four segments on the funeral episode brought me to tears. Kudos to those involved in that episode's script and the actors. It was sad how the only real interaction (meaning longer scene) we saw with the actor who is now playing Scott (Adam Mayfield) and David Canary as Stuart was a newly created flashback aired on the funeral episode. The whole concept that even if someone dies their love still exists made me weep. Of course, I wonder if some think it was pandering tying it into 9/11, but that segment worked for me.
At least they didn't allow everyone to think that Stuart was alive and Adam dead for many episodes. Seeing Adam's heartbreak over his twin's death along with even him wishing that his brother had lived had me in shock. If David Canary submits for the Daytime Emmys next year, I think he has a great chance for a nomination.
The main thing that would have made this have an even larger impact was if we had been allowed to see more of Stuart interacting with his friends and family before he was killed. It felt like it was years since I saw him and Marian together. Stuart and Adam didn't really interact much in the last year. It would have been good to see how Stuart would have influenced the war over little Adam as he is the one person who would have had surely had the best interest in the child on his mind and the heart valve.
The long term ramifications may be negative as a part of the heart and morality of Pine Valley is no longer alive. I'm not sure what to think about in the murder investigation story. I want to like it, even though I find it muddled. I fear that the best part of Stuart being murdered instead of Adam may have already come and gone with the heartbreaking funeral.
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