"Hayley Santos stood before the camera, introducing a special edition of her talk show, Wave. The episode held special meaning for Hayley because it was being broadcast from her home, Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a town that had just been named "The Best Town In America."
She recalled how she'd arrived in Pine Valley as a 16-year-old handful. She paused for a moment and corrected herself; she'd been "hell on wheels." Somehow, she said with a smile, she and her father had made it through. Hayley then introduced her father, Adam Chandler, a self-made man who'd founded Chandler Enterprises. Like Hayley, Adam also had not been born in Pine Valley.
Adam denied that a rivalry with Pete Cooney was what took him to Pine Valley in 1984. In actuality, he'd journeyed from Pigeon Hollow, West Virginia, to Pine Valley because of another person: Erica Kane. The media portion of Chandler Enterprises had been shooting a film based on Erica's memoir, Raising Kane. The movie never materialized, but Adam said he realized that Pine Valley had "potential" and he "grabbed it." Adam explained that he moved his company headquarters to Pine Valley. "It was the smartest decision I ever made," Adam said confidently. "I put Pine Valley on the map!"
"I've been told that I put Pine Valley on the map," Erica Kane stated before modestly downplaying that any one person made the town what it is. She then bashfully admitted that when she was younger, she wanted to be anywhere but in Pine Valley. After becoming a star, Erica said that she realized that everything she wanted was "right here."
AMC Recap Photo 100105Joe Martin recounted how he'd met the "prettiest nurse in the hospital," Ruth Brent, in Pine Valley. Now, as the two prepared to retire to Florida, they discussed what it meant to them to raise a family in Pine Valley. "We have had a wonderful life here," Ruth said, struggling to fight back years. "And even though we're leaving, Pine Valley will always be our home," Joe added.
Tad Martin remembered being found by the Martins in a state park with a broken arm when he was nine years old. Describing that day as "the luckiest day" of his life, Tad praised Joe and Ruth for having helped fix everything that had been broken in his life since that day.
With a mischievous laugh, Brooke English related how she'd arrived in Pine Valley on the back of her boyfriend's motorcycle in 1976. She remembered vividly how her Aunt Phoebe, with a glass of sherry in her hand, gave her a "look of absolute shock." It was the beginning of an incredible ride, she noted.
Krystal Carey was drawn to Pine Valley in 2003 by her daughter's marriage to JR Chandler. Krystal stated that she'd never expected to stick around town, but she "kept putting off the goodbyes" until one day she realized that Pine Valley gave her an opportunity she'd never had before – the chance to have a home.
For conman Ryan Lavery, he'd never had a home when he breezed into Pine Valley in 1998. Unexpectedly, Ryan fell in love with a woman named Gillian Andrassy and his world suddenly changed.
"When I was a hard-headed, straight-up wannabe thug fresh out of Center City, this was a town full of uptight people with their heads so far up... Suffice it to say this was not my kind of town," Jesse Hubbard recalled. Then, he met the beautiful Angela Baxter. As a result, Pine Valley suddenly wasn't so bad.
Angie remembered reuniting with Jesse, some 20 years after he'd supposedly died. Miracles do happen, she said tearfully.
JR reflected on leaving Pine Valley in 2003 to get away from "everything Chandler." He headed to San Diego, where he'd met and fallen in love with Arabella "Babe" Carey. "After all that running, everything I needed was right here in Pine Valley."
For Brot Monroe, after nearly dying in Iraq, the last place he wanted to be was home. Prior to joining the military, Brot was the star of his high school's football team and the most popular guy in school. Now, he doesn't think of the place he grew up as home, he thinks of home as Pine Valley. "It's weird, huh?" he asked rhetorically.
Though she no longer feeds Pine Valley residents at the Chicken Shack or beautifies them at the Glamorama, Opal Cortlandt admitted to still loving the locals, "every single last one of them... well, almost."
"She can deny it all she wants to, but I know she loves me," Palmer Cortlandt interjected in the subsequent clip.
David Hayward stated that he doesn't care what the townspeople think of him. "I have done some of my best work here," he noted as video footage of him pouring Libidozone into a punchbowl aired. "I have saved the lives of countless Pine Valley citizens."
Jake Martin explained that he's had a pattern of coming and going over the years. The idea of being like his father appealed to him, he said proudly. He also noted that he wanted to raise "little Jakes and Jakettes" in Pine Valley with the love of his life, Amanda Dillon.
Joe related a story of how a young Jake approached him with a pine cone and asked why there were so many pine cones on the ground. "The trees drop the cones to remind us that they're up there, looking out for the people that live in the houses below," Joe had said at the time.
Zach Slater called himself a different man than the man that roared into town six years earlier looking for revenge. Pine Valley might not have changed him, but his wife, Kendall, did.
Erica recalled the "difficult times" she'd gone through in her life, a life that had often played out in the tabloids.
People have many reasons for getting married – power, revenge, escape, green cards – but sometimes, Hayley explained, love and marriage find a way to go hand-in-hand.
"I was hoping you wouldn't go there," Erica said softly, bowing her head. "Ten times."
"Um, 13," Adam replied somewhat sheepishly, "if you count Erica twice and Liza three times."
Zach said that his marriage to Kendall on a boat was "romantic," but Kendall quickly noted that the wedding hadn't taken place in Pine Valley. Their vow renewal at Pine Valley hospital wasn't really what she'd wanted either. Zach realized that his wife was dropping a hint. Kendall then turned away from the camera to look her husband in the eyes. She suggested that a big wedding with family and friends in attendance might not be such a bad idea.
"We have had some beautiful weddings here in Pine Valley," Opal reflected. "Not all the marriages turned out so pretty, but the weddings? They were straight out of the movies."
AMC Recap Photo 100105Maria Santos proclaimed that every wedding should feature a "horse-drawn carriage ride through the snow." Nina Warner remembered her "pure fairytale" wedding to Cliff Warner at Cortlandt Manor.
Opal then appeared on-camera to rib her gal pal, Erica, for knowing how to throw a beautiful wedding because she'd "had a lot of practice."
JR admitted that when Babe died, he thought that he'd never find love again. But that was not the case. JR talked about how much he loved Marissa's dimples. Marissa, meanwhile, confessed a soft spot for her husband's dimples. JR said that he'd resisted falling for Marissa for quite a while. Likewise, Marissa said that she'd been focused on getting her life back on track when JR entered her life.
A segment with Scott Chandler broke up the warm and fuzzy memories as he sourly admitted that he was not married – and not even dating anyone at the moment.
"To find love once is wonderful," Erica sighed. "To find love more than once? It's amazing."
Adam Chandler then attempted to recount all of the women he'd married and the order in which he married them. As he rattled them off, he realized that he'd listed his marriages to Gloria Marsh and Natalie Hunter in the wrong order.
"'I now pronounce you husband and wife.' I know that when that minister said those words he'd said them a thousand times to a thousand different couples," Angie said. "But when he said them to me, I knew they were just for Jesse and me." Jesse agreed, saying that Pine Valley should be renamed the "Love Capital of America."
Brot looked forward to finding the woman of his dreams one day. Natalia was not quite as enthusiastic. "It's like there's something wrong with you if you're not married, or engaged, or engaged to be engaged," she groused. "I mean, if I never find Mr. Right, I'm completely cool with that."
Meanwhile, Adam continued to struggle to place his thirteen brides in their correct order.
Krystal found it amusing that she'd gone her entire life without having anyone put a ring on her finger, only to be married three times since setting foot in Pine Valley.
Liza denied returning to Pine Valley for romance, and said that she'd returned because of her daughter. Tad giddily refused to say if there was anyone that he was interested in romantically. "Things just happen, especially here, for some reason," Liza said with heavy contemplation. Both noted that they'd never rule out the possibility that they'd find love again one day.
"Does the order really matter?" Adam laughed. He then noted that he was married to the only woman he'd ever really loved: Annie.
Annie recalled how she'd "saved" Adam the night that Stuart was killed. "I took him into my arms, and we haven't let go of each other since," she said softly. She then took a deep breath and fanned herself, looking off-camera to see if she'd overdone the emotion.
Jake said that he never doubted that Amanda would be the love of his life. Amanda displayed a plastic, light-up ring and announced that it was her wedding ring. Still laughing, she referred to Jake as the "most amazing man." She admitted to pretending to have a stiff neck so that Dr. Jake would massage it. Separately, Jake remembered that he thought Amanda was "muy, muy, muy caliente hot." Amanda lit up as she remembered how hot their "hookups" had been before they turned into something much more meaningful. Her face then grew somber. "Tell me I'm not gonna screw it up," she pleaded.
Erica Kane Martin Brent Cudahy Chandler Montgomery Montgomery Chandler Marick Marick Montgomery. Erica not only knew all of her marriages in the correct order, but she was able to rattle them off quickly and confidently. "There. Told you I could do it," she beamed. She then sassed that someone had once told her that she should write a soap opera based on her life called All My Husbands. "The truth is, I loved every single one of them... at the time," Erica retorted.
Ryan declared that he refused to believe that there was only one soul mate for each person. Would he ever fall in love again? "Maybe I already have," Ryan responded. Erica, meanwhile, said that she was "counting on it."
Sometimes, according to Hayley, instead of saying pass the salt, you want to scream across the table, "Why the hell did you mess up my life?"
Maria and Mateo reflected on growing up in a big family. For Mateo, the first thing that came to mind was having to share one bathroom with four sisters. "Oh, he didn't just really go there with the bathroom, did he?" Maria asked incredulously. "It was not the horror show that he makes it out to be." Horror show or not, Mateo admitted that he wouldn't have had it any other way.
Ryan, meanwhile, blocked out most of his childhood. "We weren't exactly a scrapbook, photo album kind of deal, if you know what I mean," Ryan stated. As he explained that he'd never wanted to have kids, his daughter, Emma, raced into his arms. Now, he confessed, he couldn't imagine his life without them. Emma then cupped her hands to her mouth and whispered something into her father's ear. "Yes, sweetness, we are going to be on TV," he grinned.
Annie, meanwhile, said that she wanted to be the kind of mother that she'd always wanted, but never had. The kind that gives "hugs, kisses, and love.
After Adam explained that family is the most important thing to him, Palmer Cortlandt was shown giving a rebuttal of that claim. "Adam Chandler? He's a rattlesnake. He eats his young!" Colby stated that she soon needed to pick a major for school. "I'm thinking psychology with an emphasis on family therapy... or circus management." Adam said that he was glad that Colby had finally come to realize the importance of family. He wished that JR would soon come to the same realization. JR bragged that he had the most awesome son, agreeing that every parent probably says that about their child. His eyes began to well up with tears as he said that he'd always love Little Adam, "no matter what happens."
Erica said that she saw much of her mother, Mona, in Bianca. Her other daughter, Kendall, however, was "a little more like me." Kendall asked viewers to "imagine Erica Kane as your mother." After a brief pause, she added, "You can't." Bianca recounted the costs of having a famous parent -- pressure and fame you never asked for. Still, both Bianca and Kendall agreed that they owed their mother for helping make them the women they had become.
"The Martins do have a plan to be fruitful and multiply until we eventually take over the whole world," Tad offered with a devious laugh. Jake called Joe and Ruth incredible parents, but mused that Tad was a "pain in the rump." He added that Jeff and Tara were "golden," but confessed that he had been kidding about what he'd said about Tad.
Frankie Hubbard admitted to being "ticked" that his childhood hadn't been all "hugs and kisses." Randi explained that she'd grown up in foster homes and "never really knew what a family was." Now, thanks to the Hubbards, she finally knew what a family was. Natalie echoed the sentiment, saying that one day it just hit her. "Angie, she's got that fierce mom thing going on, and Frankie... there's nothing terrible about having a big brother."
Scott remembered the death of his mom, Cindy, and how Stuart had taken him in as a son. "I had the greatest dad a kid could have," he said.
Hayley then sadly noted that, sometimes, the things that bonded us together weren't the birthdays or the proms or the fun milestones. Sometimes we were brought together by loss.
Erica recalled the last time she'd seen Myrtle Fargate. They were having tea and Myrtle mentioned a dream she'd had about driving around in a classic convertible with Erica's mom, Mona, the wind blowing through their hair. A few days later, Myrtle passed away in her sleep. "I'd like to think that my mother drove by and picked Myrtle up in that car and they're both driving around together right now having a good laugh," Erica said.
Tad admitted that he still talked to Dixie quite frequently. On a clear night, he said, he'd look up at their wishing star and talk to her. "It took me a long time to accept that she's really gone," Tad said, somewhat uncomfortable. He then shrugged and added, "But maybe she's not. Who knows?" Palmer then added, "My beautiful Dixie. I miss her so."
AMC Recap Photo 100105Opal then reflected on the loss of her daughter, Jenny Gardner. "Seeing her smile was enough to make your day. Everybody loved my Jenny," she said softly. "I was so proud to be her momma." Greg Nelson explained that Jenny had been his high school sweetheart. "When you start that young, it's supposed to last forever," he sighed.
"My daughter Laura was eight-years-old when she was killed by a drunk driver," Brooke stated. She said that she didn't think she'd be able to go on after her daughter's death, but the memory of her daughter's "bright, beautiful face" kept her going.
"We deserve the best and together we can always get it." That, according to Krystal, was the Carey women's motto. "Babe wasn't just my daughter," she said tearfully. "She was half my heart – and always will be." JR fought tears as he recalled how Babe had died in his arms. He admitted being angry when Babe died, saying that he'd wanted her to fight harder – not for him, but for their son. "When you love someone so much, you fight to stay with them."
David Hayward offered an explanation of why everyone in town hated him. "It's not really me they hate," he offered prophetically. "I confront. I challenge. I push people to their limits. They fall short. That's what they hate -- their own weaknesses. Me? I'm just the scapegoat."
Ryan talked of Greenlee Smythe's death and how in one moment he was thinking about the future with his bride-to-be, and in the next he was searching for her body.
Mateo discussed the pain of losing his sister, Julia Santos Keefer. Maria was moved to tears and was unable to articulate how she felt about Julia's untimely death.
Sitting on a sofa at Chandler Mansion, Adam had an equally difficult time talking about the death of his twin brother, Stuart. "He was the best fly-fisherman on the East Coast. Made his own lures!" Adam stated, referring to the lures as works of art. Stuart, Adam said, always gave back more than he got. "I just wish he... I can't do this. I just can't." Adam rose to his feet, walked over to a painting that Stuart had done of him and Adam as young boys, and sobbed. Hayley left her position behind the camera and embraced her dad.
Though they may disagree on many things, the subjects in the documentary did agree on one thing: no one leaves Pine Valley ... at least not for good.
Nina mused that her father, Palmer, was the reason she moved to Pine Valley – and the reason she moved away from it.
Lily Montgomery offered a more literal explanation of how to leave Pine Valley. "You take the M15 bus from Park and Pine Street at 9:15am, 10:15am, 11:15am..." She then noted that living in Massachusetts at M.I.T. was a lot harder than living in Pine Valley, and not just because one of the school's colors was red.
Greg Nelson and Bianca Montgomery both admitted to still thinking of Pine Valley as home. Maria said that she still kept tabs on Pine Valley online. From time to time, the thought of a holiday picnic or gathering really made her want to "go home."
Jackson Montgomery, meanwhile, offered some hope that he, too, might return to Pine Valley one day. After all, he asked, can any many stay away from Erica Kane?
AMC Recap Photo 100105"Of course, I'd come back," Brooke stated. Then, with a wink, she asked, "But wouldn't somebody have to warn Erica first?" In the next scene, Erica retorted, "Brooke who?"
The residents also agreed on another thing: it is hope that keeps them all going. After tornadoes ripped apart the town in 2008, the town vowed to rebuild. It wasn't the first time that the townspeople had to take care of each other. The town had previously been leveled by a twister in July 1994. "We rebuilt because we didn't have an option," Tad explained. "We got busy rebuilding our town and our lives." Ryan said that he was proud to have been a part of the effort to make sure that everyone in Pine Valley was accounted for following the tornadoes. Adam playfully recalled that he single-handedly saved Erica's life during the most recent tornado assault. "She owes me her life. She'll never admit it," Adam grinned.
Kendall stated that it was a miracle that she survived the tornado. Bianca remembered having given birth in the middle of the destruction and devastation.
Admitting that she could not be completely objective, Hayley said that Pine Valley deserved its title of Best Town In America. "It might not have the best weather, the biggest attractions, or the lowest unemployment, but it has something much more important."
"I am a lifer," Tad proudly proclaimed. "That's to get my whole family back in this town – every single Martin." Though he said life wasn't all "cupcakes," Jake confessed that he had a very good life – a beautiful wife, a son, and a good job.
Erica brushed off claims that her significance diminished when her television show, New Beginnings, ended. She vowed to continue raising money for the children she'd met in Africa and for the Miranda Center.
JR said that he wasn't planning to leave town, because his family and his future were in Pine Valley. Liza added that she'd finally realized that her home was in Pine Valley -- and it always had been. Little Emma clicked together the heels of ruby red slippers and repeated, "There's no place like home." Ryan was tickled by his daughter's antics. Jesse and Angie announced that the Hubbard family was "staying put." They were then rushed by Frankie and Natalia, and the four embraced. Jesse proudly boasted, "Look at all my children... all my children."
AMC Recap Photo 100105What makes Pine Valley so special? According to Erica, "Everyone who lives here feels a connection. You don't have to be related – you don't even have to like each other. No matter who you are or what you do, Pine Valley is like a big home with a lot of rooms, and the door is always open."
The last subject of the documentary was a woman that viewers have seen recently as a ghost, but her presence has been felt on-screen for 40 years. All My Children creator Agnes Nixon closed the special episode by reading the show's mantra:
The Great and the Least, the Weak and the Strong, the Rich and the Poor, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in tragedy and triumph, you are All My Children."
- Soap Central