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Real-life soldiers’ tales set AMC apart
If you haven’t seen Thursday’s episode of All My Children, then make some time to do so.
Actually, it’s really only one segment you need to make time for. In fact, I’ll make it easy on you and post some of it here:
Whether you are a fan of soaps or not, watching these real-life veterans talk about being injured during combat is a lesson in courage, humility and fortitude.
I’ve written before about how well I think AMC has told the stories of their military characters. It hasn’t been perfect, of course, but compared to the other soaps (namely General Hospital), AMC has handled soldiers’ stories with dignity and respect.
The irony of Thursday’s segment was I had just finished telling my husband how boring AMC has been. (The tornadoes were great, but I think the show has lost some serious momentum since.) The words came out of my mouth, and in the next instant, on my TV screen was a semi-circle of people who I knew right away weren’t just actors.
As my husband and I listened to their tales, you could have heard a pin drop. It was riveting. And when it was over my husband turned to me and said, “Now, that wasn’t boring.”
I know soaps are usually meant to be an escape from everyday life, but I also appreciate those times with this genre spotlights a real, visceral issue.
AMC did a great job. But, you know, even if the segment hadn’t turned out so well, I would have still given the show credit for at least trying to give these war stories a mainstream voice.
It’s a lot more than most of the other soaps are doing.
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