Who can forget when we first introduced to this rugged man with a heart of gold, as he came to Pine Valley to forge a relationship with his Aunt and one time police commissioner Anna Devane Hayward. From his debut, I had hoped that we would quickly learn more about Aiden’s past, while being given a little more insight into that of the character Anna Devane (who we know originated on the other ABC drama General Hospital). 

Why after all these years was this is the first time that Anna ever mentioned having a nephew? Was he a former WSB agent like she was? What exactly was his purpose for coming to Pine Valley? All questions that I know I was DYING for answers too. 

Not long after his arrival in Pine Valley, Aiden began to trip the light fantastic with Erica Kane’s wayward daughter and town outcast, Kendall Hart. Maybe it was just me, but I THOROUGHLY loved the Aiden and Kendall (or Kaiden as online fans call them) pairing. Turner and Minshew exhibited oodles of chemistry in every scene together and I hoped that TPTB would take advantage of this chemistry, put these two together, and let them rise into the Soap Opera Super Couple Hall Of Fame. 

In fact it was Aiden who brought out the softer and more vulnerable side of Kendall, which allowed viewers to catch a glimpse as to who the real Kendall was. Well just when the fans were getting behind this pairing, “Kids” pulled the proverbial carpet out from under our feet and moved Kendall into the direction of a pairing with bad guy Michael Cambias, while Aiden was pushed into a very lackluster and dry romance with, amnesiac Maureenia. 

I will be the first to say it, I HATED, no wait a minute I LOATHED the Aiden and Maureenia pairing. First of all, it was forced and secondly LaRue and Turner had no chemistry with one another, what so ever!

Next it seemed as if Aiden was relegated to being Tad’s patsy and helping solve crimes, beat up and harass Michael for what he did to Bianca or whisk Liza and her daughter Colby away to parts unknown. Of course a good looking and dashing Brit like Aiden needed a love interest, and who better to pair him with than with the unlucky in love Mia Saunders!

Again, AMC hit a brick wall among fans with this pairing and let’s just say it fizzled before it even got off the ground. How many times did TPTB think that the fans would sit there and watch Aiden take care of a drunken Mia, or how often were we going to be forced to see her jealous and catty side emerge, each and every time Kendall walked through the door. 

As we all know this pairing did not work out and actress Ameila Heinle was sent on the first bus out of Pine Valley. Unfortunately, her exit meant that Aiden Turner was left to dangle in the wind, like so many characters in daytime that the writers just don’t know what to do with (also during this time Turner, returned to England to deal with a family emergency and the role was briefly recast). That was until they cast primetime actress (and former Saved by the Bell star) Natalia Cigiluiti in the role of Maria’s kid sis, Dr. Anita Santos Warner. 

Ok soap fans I will be the first to admit it (and my editor Nina  has  heard me say this on more than one occasion) I was not a fan of Anita, nor the Anita and Aiden pairing in the beginning. Maybe it was because I saw the lackluster performance Cigliuti gave in all of her scenes with former co-star Christian Campbell (and the lack of chemistry these two had, but that is a column for another time!) or still maybe, just maybe it was that deep down I was hoping for Aiden to march off the elevator at Fusion, sweep Kendall up in  his arms (in a scene reminiscent from the motion picture An Officer and Gentleman) and the two of them hop on the back of his bike and ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after.

But then something happened. All My Children made the wisest move yet, by separating Bobby and Anita Warner and moving Cigiluiti into scenes with Aiden Turner. 

Even though I am not, 100% behind this pairing I am warming up to them. In all their scenes together it seems that Turner can make Cigiluiti come alive and shine, and after the New Years Eve episode, could Aiden possibly bring out the Wild and Untamed side of Anita, that fans have yet to see?

Yes fans it appears as if the show is moving full steam ahead with this potential coupling, but of course all couples have their share of obstacles and stumbling blocks in any relationship. Could one stumbling block for this couple be in the form of a sweet, innocent 14- year old blonde, who is just a little different from many of her fellow Pine Valley Peers.

Who can forget the scenes of autistic Lily Montgomery being tormented the so called HOT GIRLS, at the boathouse, only to be rescued, by what she thought was her knight in shining armor, Aiden. 

The scenes where Aiden and Anita chastised the so called Hot Girls for their torment of Lily and in turn, gave Lily the “magic” sunglasses so that she could be shield her eyes from the color red, opened the door for a potential sweet, big-brother type relationship between Aiden and Lily. 

Even though, it appears in Lily’s eyes as this relationship is more. Who can forget the look on Aiden’s face when Lily announced in front of Jack, Reggie, Danielle that “Aiden was her boyfriend and she wanted him to come to the families New Year’s Eve party.”

The scenes that followed between these characters, allowed fans to have a little humor, to what had already been some an emotional week on the show. I do hope that TPTB will explore a friendship between Lily and Aiden, and that he may be the big brother she feels she can confide in. 

Any which way you happen to go with the character of Aiden, lets hope that the show writes a decent love story and storyline and keeps Turner around for many, many years to come. 

____________________Fan Forum_______________________

Ok soap fans, I must say and admit that not only writing my column is a joy for each of you every week, but I also enjoy reading your emails (and even though at times I may not respond, I do read each and every one of them). For those of you who have sent heartfelt warm wishes regarding my column, I say a BIG THANK YOU! Now onto your views. 

Even though she is still on the run and will stop at nothing to keep her son in her arms, Alexa Havin’s Babe is still a BIG Topic of conversation among soap fans, as evident from these emails I received. 

“All though I don’t watch the character of Babe much anymore, because she is ALWAYS in scenes with Jamie, I do recall the times where the truth regarding Miranda was about to come out of her mouth. But she always seemed to be interrupted by her parents telling her that if she  told JR the truth he would take their real child and run, or perhaps set out to ruin her life in some other way (as evident by the scenes playing out on our screens). The one thing is obvious, even though she knew Miranda was not really her child, Babe cared about that little girl all along, still does, and always will. JR on the other hand, was quick to drop Miranda like a HOT potato when he found out his own child with Babe is alive and well.  So all those Babe haters out there are WAY off base in my opinion”- PVPost Reader Karen.

Karen was not the only email I got regarding the character of Babe. Soap Fan, commented on how interesting it will be to see Bianca and Babe continue with their rivalry and how they might just possibly be this generations, Brooke and Erica.

“Does Bianca really have to forgive Babe in order for her to go on living in Pine Valley?? I would rather see Bianca not forgive Babe and the drama it would create, as these two one time friends, were forced to see each other and interact out and about Pine Valley.. it would DEFINITELY show another aspect of Bianca, who always turns out to be the forgiving one and give the character a slight edge. Just think of the storylines and entertainment that would ensue years from now if Adam Chandler III/James/Ace, whatever the HECK they are calling this KID and Miranda were to enter into a secret friendship and perhaps romance with one another… Oh how I would love to see Babe and Bianca react to that.”

Even though my column on Maria was printed two weeks ago, it seems as if fans (hi D’EVA’s) are still talking about the Zacharia pairing and the character of Maria in general. 

“I ABSOLUTELY adore Maria and Zach as a couple and like many other fans have waited patiently for this story to FINALLY get moving. I am hoping that McTavish and the other writers pen a good story for this couple that will keep them moving forward, so here is hoping for a Zacharia pairing and juicy storyline in 2005”- Donna of the D’EVA’s message board, via email. 

“As a long time soap viewer, I am seldom surprised or shocked by anything that the soaps do anymore, and it has been a long time since I have sweated and worried that my favorite soap couple may not get together, but that is what is happening with Maria and Zach. When I watched their New Year’s Eve kiss, I swear my mouth was open and the rest of the world ceased to exist for that moment… I have watched everyday in ANTICIPATION since then, holding out hope for another scene with these two DYNAMITE performers. When they are not talking about Ethan, they are sheer magic together, and that is due to LaRue and Kaye and the heat that they exhibit with one another.  I find myself devastated that Maria is going back to Edmund and hope that it is not for long. Hopefully, we will soon see this fantastic couple, in another HOT moment”- Marci, from Red Oaks Tx.

One email I received on Maria, was not about her pairing with Zach or Edmund, but rather a pairing with another character who is currently on screen. 

“Rather than just taking Maria from romance to romance, which quite frankly does get boring if her scenes are only opposite her male lead- I see a wonderful multi faceted opening for Maria to be a strong mentor, and mother like role model to Maggie Stone, a role model she has not had, I might add since Anna Devane left town. I think Maria would be the perfect fit to the sounding board that Maggie needs, and I can envision many interactions and heart felt talks between these two, since Maggie is working towards being an MD… Eva certainly  has the acting chops, why not put her in the abuse storyline as a mentor for Maggie.”- Soap Fan.

Of course no forum would be complete with out the PLETORA (and I do mean that) of positive outpourings I received regarding  last weeks column on the recent abuse storyline.  Many came for those heartfelt BAMMER’s and I would like to thank them for their responses

“I just got through reading your column on the abuse storyline and I must say a JOB well done. I am in complete agreement that it is nice to finally see Elizabeth Hendrickson and Jeff Branson share some front burner time. These two performers harbor so much talent, that it is about time they got an opportunity to shine.  When given powerful and meaty material, Liz really takes it into her hands and pulls out all the STOPS!!! And Jeff, it is about time that we the fans saw more depth into the character of Jonathan”- BAM fan and aspiring writer Tracy.

“Liz is doing some INCREDIBLE work and her pride in it shows each time she is on air. Her portrayal of a scared woman is very realistic of those who are in abusive relationships. Thank you for a FANTASTIC column”- Thurmie

“I cannot agree more, Jeff and Liz have really risen to the occasion with their current storyline.. It reminds me of what the social issue storylines on daytime used to be noted for. I hope that when it concludes that the show can find a way to rehabilitate Jonathan, so that the character can remain on the show. Jeff Branson is a good actor and certainly adds depth to the Jonathan and Ryan relationship”- LW.

“We at bamfans.com, are thrilled to see Elizabeth getting the storyline that she deserves and can sink her teeth into. Megan McTavish is a wonderful storyteller and will finally put the characters on equal ground. By having Anita explain to Bianca how Maggie could have fallen into this trap so deeply can help the audience in general understand how things like this can happen in real life”-  Bam fan Cindy.

Of course, with all the positive emails I got regarding the abuse storyline and how it is slated to open the door to a Bianca and Maggie pairing, one fan in particular voiced a case of sour grapes. Now before, I post their email, I do appreciate their loyal readership, and do hope that they understand this column is an Opinion column. With that said, if they are going to use last weeks column as a basis to stop reading any of my future columns, then they are at a true loss. So soap fans here is the email:

“I am for one shocked at your statements about BAM…Is the media being paid to pimp this DULL pairing? Hendrickson is about as exciting as bath water, and yet as bad an actress she is, certain rag mags and other folks keep pimping her. She is the dullest character on the All My Children canvas and just because Eden wants to promote the sagging career of her best friend in real life, it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.. Have you even seen the 1-18-05 episode, Hendrickson is already showing her lack of acting skills and reads her lines like she is a 12 year old child, and as the story goes along, it gets progressively worse!  Eden’s acting went up 10 notches when she was in scenes with Olga, why… because they are two wonderful actresses with LOADS of chemistry. I wonder if Eden can carry Liz, and I guess she is going to have to since Liz is a weak actress and they have no chemistry whatsoever. This is the worst pairing I have seen on AMC in quite a long time.. I guess people are getting paid to promote, otherwise…they would tell the truth, you writers have lost your integrity…to bad a sell out is a sell out… You know I am right and you won’t admit it and that is just plain SAD of you. I have always enjoyed your articles and your takes on the soaps, but when they become dishonest, well I am through reading your so called articles”- Online reader Aanncap.

On a side note, I am by no means being “PAID” by anyone to pimp Hendrickson and the BAM pairing. In fact, I am a fan of Hendricksons and of this pairing.  A lot of fans are suffering sour grapes of the departure of Olga Sosnovska and it sounds like this reader is one of them. Rest assured my fellow readers and soap fans, I have not been dishonest nor am I selling out.  This column as all my others are opinions and I state just that. 

 

Got a view or a comment that you would like to see expressed in the fan forum? Have an idea for an upcoming column?  Love or Hate a character or performer and would like to express it here?? Drop me a line at pvpost@soaptownusa.com.  You never know who might be reading.