The series finale of “All My Children” didn’t so much close doors on the show — but blow them wide open.
Judging by yesterday’s finale, you’d never have guessed that the 41-year-old soap was calling it quits on ABC.
The episode started out with a walk down memory lane, hitting all of “AMC’s” family high points over the years in a montage. But after that, it was business as usual.
Pine Valley’s most famous residents gathered together for a party to celebrate the fact that Stuart Chandler (David Canary) wasn’t dead. Speeches were made about the importance of family and friends, an engagement was announced and there was some potential baby news.
The idea of family and friends — the backbone of “AMC” — seemed like a fitting final note for the soap, until the last minute of the episode, which peppered fans with a whole bunch of cliffhangers.
Who does troubled JR Chandler (Jacob Young) shoot? How will Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) get Jackson Montgomery (Walt Willey) back? Who is Dr. Hayward’s (Vincent Irizarry) last patient?
All these things, and more, won’t be answered — unless the soap really does get turned into a Web series in 2012, which is what producers Prospect Park seem to have been banking on. So far, actors Cameron Mathison (Ryan Lavery) and Lindsay Hartley (Dr. Cara Castillo Martin) have signed on for the Web version of “AMC.”
Series doyenne Lucci, however — an original cast member — is said to have turned down the offer.
The Post asked three “All My Children” fans/experts — Alina Adams, author of “Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama’s Greatest Moments”; Kathy Carano, who writes “The Pine Valley Bulletin” blog; and Kate Brown, who blogs for amcfans.com — to weigh in on yesterday’s finale.
Here’s some of what they had to say:
Adams: “As a romance writer, I wish there had been a bit more closure for the couples and families we’ve been rooting for. As a mystery writer, I enjoy being kept on the edge of my seat and wondering what comes next. As a 30-year soap fan, I actually thought they hit a nice balance between the two.
“Which brings me to the three big question marks: JR’s got a gun, David’s got one last patient, and Erica’s got a man to win back. The last episode of ‘AMC’ reminded us why we love them.”
Carano: “I loved that everyone got together for one big last shindig, dressed to the nines and happy to be with each other.
“But at the end of the finale, Erica Kane said, ‘That is not the ending I wanted.’ I kind of agree with her. I guess I didn’t expect the ending to come wrapped up neatly with a little bow. ”
Brown: “It’s difficult to accept that there will be no more stories . . . the last episode was somewhat disappointing. A gun shot then a cut to a black screen? I think we deserved better than that. The actors deserved better than that.
“A mystery shooting and a secret not-dead person is not what will draw me back to Pine Valley. Just give me good, thoughtful stories. Give me good characters. If [Prospect Park] lets ‘AMC’ go back to being the ‘real’ ‘AMC,’ I’ll follow it anywhere.”