All My Children Weekly Blog

Looking out for her friends. (Soaps.com)

Lori’s AMC Weekly Wrap Up For September 6 – 10.

Last week’s AMC was pretty much all about the aftermath of David’s death, so let’s get right to it.

Goodbye David Hayward.
David is in fact dead. Since it’s a soap, it’s not out of the realm of possibly that he will return from the dead at some point, but for now, he is a goner. I’m still not pleased about this turn of events, but the episode following his death did give us a lot of good dramatic moments. From Ryan trying to remember what happened and turning himself in, to characters dealing with their conflicting emotions regarding David, it was pretty intense. I fear the enjoyable dramatic fallout won’t last though and David’s death will all be for naught. I hope I’m wrong.

Conflicting Emotions.
It was good to see so many characters actually mourn David’s passing and not just celebrate it like Tad did. Even those who had a reason to be happy he was gone, such as Angie, Amanda and even Greenlee, still recognized he was a human being who deserved some respect. For Greenlee, there was some love there for her as well, so I’m glad she was portrayed as devastated and conflicted rather than relieved her blackmailing husband was gone. Yes, he did some despicable things (who in Pine Valley hasn’t?), but we saw the human side of him when Marissa listened to his final voicemail message, as he expressed his desire to be a real father to her. It’s too bad David didn’t get a chance to explore his complexities more, as his vulnerabilities contrasted with his dark side is what made him so interesting.

She's Back. Now What?
Kendall stole the fake evidence against Greenlee Liza was holding for David and burned it. This landed her in jail for all of five minutes before she made bail. I'd really like to see her driving story though instead of just being there to support Ryan and Greenlee. I appreciated that she was worried how Zach would react to learning what she'd done, but we won't really see his response until October when he returns to the screen, which is sort of a letdown. I suppose we have Kendall's upcoming storyline with Jake to look forward to, I just hope it's something she can really sink her teeth into.

Just Doing Her Job.
Colby finally broke down and told Liza about the fight she saw between Ryan and David. It was laughable though that she was surprised her mother, the D.A., was going to use it in her investigation. Even though most law enforcement officials on soaps and in Pine Valley bend the rules as they see fit, she is the D.A. and it's her job to investigate such leads when a man has been killed. It's a total conflict of interest for Liza to be in charge of the investigation to begin with and I was puzzled by Mayor Blanco for dismissing that fact and demanding Liza take the case, but it's annoying that everyone is getting on Liza's case about doing her job. If it had been Ryan who had been killed and David was the prime suspect, everyone in Pine Valley would be harping on Liza to do whatever was in her power, and beyond, to throw the book at him, not questioning why she was acting like a D.A., or at least AMC's version of one.

David's Successor.
So, now that he's dead, who will take David's place as the town villain? I think JR will try, as he's already attempting to be his father, but he doesn’t really strike fear in anyone. Marissa could also attempt to channel her deceased father, but I definitely don’t think she has it in her to be a Grade A bad guy/girl. Annie has already proven she can manipulate and scheme her way around town, which can be enjoyable to watch, but not if Scott's going to be bringing up the rear. Caleb is really the only one with presence to fill that role, but I like the way he's being portrayed now. I think the role is best left to Liza or Greenlee who have no problem unleashing their wrath on others when they feel they've been wronged. Not to mention, it would be fun to have a woman hold the town hostage, so to speak, for awhile. Who do you think should step into David's devious shoes? Tell us in our poll about Pine Valley's next villain.

That's it for me this time around. What did you think about David's death and its aftermath? Feel free to share your thoughts below.

Soaps.com is on Twitter @soapoperafan, and Facebook. Join us!

- Lori Wilson