Saturday, November 24, 2012
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I tuned in for the demise
of one of the longest running soap characters ever on ‘General Hospital’ – but I
have to say they couldn’t have done much better than they did.
Well, he easily surpassed my expectations.
Not only did he deliver a poignant and heartfelt pair of
episodes – but he left me sobbing when the show broke for Thanksgiving.
First, it is important to note, I hate losing another member
of the Quartermaine clan.
Bob Guza decimated the Quartermaines under his reign of
terror – and the last thing I want to do is say goodbye to another member of that
beloved family.
This one really couldn’t be helped, though. Portrayer John
Ingle passed away several weeks ago – and you can’t recast Edward.
Yes, I know that Ingle himself was a recast of the beloved
David Lewis, but you really couldn’t do it again. People would have revolted.
So, in some very touching scenes, daughter Tracy fell apart
at her father’s bedside – even allowing black sheep nephew AJ go up to say
goodbye (he would be too late).
Great-grandson Michael went to say his goodbyes, and it was
sweet to see Edward’s hand reach out to young Danny – his latest
great-grandchild. We all know that wasn’t Ingle’s actual hand – but it was a
touching moment nonetheless.
Jane Elliot imbued the caustic Tracy with a sense of
devastation that we don’t often see in the crusty old crone – which made her
scenes all the more poignant.
The next day, Tracy’s son Ned returned to the fold to spend
Thanksgiving with his family (Bring back Wally Kurth full time!) and adopted “granddaughter”
Skye came to visit with her daughter Lila Rae.
It was fitting – being that they’re Quartermaines – that Ned,
Tracy, Monica and AJ got into a heated argument (which Michael tried to break
up), but that argument was actually a tribute to Edward – who could get down in
the muck with the best of them.
We got a handful of poignant flashbacks – but they were
ultimately unfulfilling. First off, fans can accept showing Lewis flashbacks
and Ingle flashbacks (like they showed two different Clints on One Life to Live
when Asa died). A lot of great stuff from Edward’s reign happened under Lewis’
tenure.
Second off, there were a lot of key people left out of the
montage. I know you have to pay certain people to use the flashbacks – but for
crying out loud, do it. You could have easily cut Olivia, Steve and Heather for
the day and paid to use flashbacks of Amber Tamblyn’s Emily, Vanessa Marcil’s
Brenda and either Justus.
I know a lot of fans wanted Jason flashbacks – but he really
was the least involved of all Edward’s grandchildren – so I was fine with
omitting him. He was represented by Sam and Danny.
Edward was more than just Lila’s philandering husband (how
about a Jimmy Lee Holt or Mary Mae Ward flashback?), Alan and Tracy’s
father, and Ned and A.J.’s
grandfather. He was a sounding board for
Brenda, a crusty curmudgeon to Robin and Lucky, a good friend to Laura, a
beloved old coot to the town.
Still, I know Carlivati did what he could with the resources
he had. For the record, though, I don’t consider Skye a Quartermaine. She should have came back
for the finale of 'All My Children' – not for Edward’s funeral on GH.
The parting shots of ghost Edward and Lila – getting up out
of her wheelchair – as they ascended the stairs hand-in-hand literally broke my
heart. Especially since what remains of his family was in the other room
singing ‘We Gather Together’ – while eating ghostly pizza offerings – in the
other room. The only thing that could have made the scene better for me would
have been panning up to see Alan standing there waiting for them.
GH gave Edward – and Ingle – a fitting send off. Now they
just need to reinvigorate the Quartermaines. They can do it in Ingle’s memory.
I’m willing to believe whatever out there story the writers
come up with for why Helena has been holding Alan and Emily for years. And ‘Days
of Our Lives’ does not have Kurth on contract. Bring him back and pair him with
Alexis – and pit him against A.J.
Skye can leave town and not come back. I’ve never liked the
character, I don’t know why.
Honestly, I think the best thing that GH can do to truly
remember Edward Quartermaine is salvage his memorable family.
What do you think? Did they handle Edward’s death well?
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home