I Love These Two More Than Chocolate

I have been in a serious state of soap related glee since last Wednesday, because Jesse and Angie's wedding was one of the most awesome hours of soap to air on television in the last decade, let alone on All My Children. This is part of the reason that I haven't blogged much since then; I loved this episode so much that I didn't want the crappiness of the rest of the daytime world to sully it (the rest of the reason is laziness). I loved it so much that this episode has made its way onto my list of Top 5 Things I Love Beyond All Reason:

1. Making lists

2. Diet Coke

3. All of James Franco's videos at funnyordie.com, but most especially the dramatic reenactment of Justin Bobby and Audrina's date on The Hills.

4. The Golden Girls

5. Jesse and Angie's wedding, edging out DiorShow Blackout mascara. Yeah, exactly. That's how much I loved this wedding. I mean business.

I really have low standards when it comes to AMC, as well I should, since I can count the number of non Kendall and Zach related things I've enjoyed in this show since 1999 on one hand, so I went into this with low expectations. Like, I knew it would be good, because it's Jesse and Angie, and nobody, not even the soon to depart Esensten and Brown, could mess them up, but I didn't think it would be better than good. But it was! It was actually a completely GLORIOUS hour of television. It had all of the components of an awesome soap episode: glamour! Humor! Musical guest! Sentimental vows! Veteran characters and references to history! A ghost!

I now present to you, a bit belated, The 15 Most Wonderful Things About Angie and Jesse's Wonderful Wedding...

1. The preternatural prettiness of Debbi Morgan. This is not limited solely to the wedding, obviously, but getting married on television suits her, because she's been even more lovely than usual. I've been showing random people pictures of her and shrieking "She's 52 years old! 52! I want to look like her now! Life isn't faaaaaaaaaair!"

If she weren't such an amazing actress, I would have to hate her for being so genetically blessed, but because she rules at life in general, I feel like unnatural beauty is the least she deserves.

2. The intercut scenes where Jesse talked to Frankie and Angie talked to Cassandra about the impending wedding and how much it means to them:

Angie: Two hearts, two souls becoming one.

Jesse: That's the real deal, man. That's how it should be when you get married.

Angie: Pledging your love and devotion for all time.

Jesse: And you got to know, through thick or thin, baby, this is forever.

Angie: This is forever.

I maybe started to cry here, a little bit.

3. The stunning way the casino was decorated. This is what soap weddings are about, people! The beauty and the glitz and the way you got goosebumps just looking at it because if any current soap couple deserves such a special wedding, it's Angie and Jesse

Credit for this particular piece of awesome goes to Mr. Zach Slater, who, seriously, OF COURSE knows how to go all out in making a day as special as can be. That's so Zach!

Speaking of Zach, he also had a deliciously swoon worthy conversation with Kendall at the top of the episode:

Kendall: Zach, would you do what Angie and Jesse did -- what they're going to do? Would you marry me all over again?

Zach: Huh?

Kendall: What?

Zach: I married you twice already.

Kendall: No, I'm serious.

Zach: In my heart, I was always married to you, even before I met you. Always only you.

It's a pity that Alicia Minshew submitted herself as a supporting actress rather than lead, thereby screwing herself out of a nomination, because I have to tell you, the woman deserves to be rewarded for making it through that scene without crumpling into a pile of giggles and happiness. Can you imagine Thorsten Kaye saying those words to you? I'm getting the vapors, for real and for serious.

4. Jesse surprising Angie with Ne-Yo was completely soapy but, unlike some other singing guest stars, this didn't make me roll my eyes. I don't know why I enjoyed it so much, but I do know that appearing on this episode of AMC has earned Ne-Yo lots of good will for me that he had previously lost due to "Hate That I Love You", one of my most hated songs of the past five years, which is odd, considering that I love (love!) every other song Rihanna has done.

5. I am on the record has hating the entire Ghost Dixie situation, but I have to admit that the old girl is looking pretty damn spectacular for a spirit. I especially like her formal wear.

Not to get all religious or anything, but is there something about heaven that makes you look really good? Because between Emily's awesome post-death hair and the general loveliness of Ghost Dixie, I am seriously curious.

6. Opal's hat

7. Greg reuniting with Opal...

Opal: Yeah. Not a day goes by I don't miss my sweet Jenny. I know how much you loved her.

Greg: Yeah, we all did. She should be with us today.

Greg reuniting with Tad...

[Bonus points to Michael E. Knight for looking like he had just seen a ghost!]

Greg meeting his late wife's namesake...

And the copious flashbacks from his first episode back. I am a sucker for flashbacks.

8. How adorable were Stuart and Marian, and Marian's worry that she wouldn't be welcome at the wedding on account of how much of a life ruiner Liza was to Jesse and Angie? I love when soaps mention their history (I wonder--are the repeated Liza mentions setting the stage for her return in the form of Beth Ehlers? Hmm)

And Stuart adorably reassuring her

Stuart: Oh, Angie and Jesse are good people. They know the meaning of true love. That's the kind of love that I have for you. And they're going to love you, too.

I maybe cried a little bit there, too. 

9. Every soap wedding needs a crazy, and Evil Robert Gardner is about as crazy as they come. No disrespect to the actor or anything, but I am reasonably sure that if I saw him walking down the street, I'd run away screaming, "Evil! Evil man!"

10. The oh-so adorable way Jesse put his hand over his heart when he glimpsed Angie coming down the aisle.

HOW FREAKING CUTE IS THAT? The way he was just overcome with love and amazement was so, so fantastic, not least because...

11. How beautiful did Angie look?

This is the pinnacle of soap wedding perfection! She looks like a goddess.

12. Her onscreen daughter is similarly beautiful. I'd expect nothing less of one of Tyra's finds! Except for Naima; Naima is the exception to all rules and forms of earth logic.

One day, I will be able to watch this show without assorted ANTM quotes coming to mind. Today is not one of those days. Remember when she told Eva "You make me want to study psychology more"? That was awesome.

13. The readings that assorted Pine Valley denizens did during the ceremony were so sweet and made me cry:

Stuart: In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of love.

Greg: Love is the emblem of eternity. It confounds all notion of time, effaces all memory of a beginning, and all fear.

Tad: Separated lovers find countless, mysterious way of corresponding. By sending each other the song of birds, the scent of flowers, the laughter of children, the light of the sun, the sighing of the wind, the gleam of the stars -- all the beauties of creation.

SO sweet!

14. THE VOWS. Ohmigod, the vows. I can't improve upon these or offer any commentary besides "!!!1111!!!<<<<<333333!!!!!", so I will just let you read them

Angie: When Jess -- deep breath. When Jesse and I first got married, we couldn't share the joy that we felt with the people that we loved. And now, as I look out at all of you -- old friends, new friends, my children, the miracle I've been given, my heart is so full it takes my breath away. I want to thank all of you. And I thank you, God.

Jesse: Seeing you here as my beautiful, beautiful bride, hearing that song, even the scent of the flowers -- it just makes me feel alive. I mean, for so long I lived in a kind of silence -- no music, no color, just dark. But I survived it. I survived it, baby. And I couldn't have done it without you. A lot of you people in this room -- you helped me find my way back home to my family and to my angel.

Angie: Jesse, my intentions are the same today as they were when we stood before the justice of the peace all those years ago. I intend to spend the rest of my life loving you. I will grow with you, I will care for you, and learn from you. When you speak, I will listen. Maybe not all the time. When you walk, I'll be by your side. Together, we can go anywhere and do anything. You are my profound joy, my greatest gift. And I will treasure you always.

Jesse: Oh, God, Angela, my whole world changed when I met you. You opened my mind, my heart. You made me a better man, and because of you, I have life, I have love, and I'm going to protect that love with everything I have. I will make you proud, I will make you happy, and I will keep that beautiful smile on your beautiful face. Oh, my God, you are my purpose, sweet lady. You are my future, and I can't wait to live every minute of that future with you.

I LOVE THESE TWO SO, SO MUCH OHMIGOD, SO MUCH LOVE

15. During the vows, at the "till death do us part", um, part, Jesse chimed in with "To love and to cherish until death do us part. That ain't going to happen this time". Only on a soap would (a)that line of dialogue be a statement of fact and (b)make me cry

It was just SO BEAUTIFUL and SO SOAPY and I loved it so much and want to watch it again. Swoon and sigh.

Because I am me, I did have a few quibbles, like:

...why on earth did they cut multiple times to Greenlee's latest existential crisis?

Because, seriously, way to take me out of the moment of watching a couple remarry after 20 years and a death by shoehorning in Greenlee's whininess. Like when she kept looking at Aiden during the ceremony like she was a kicked puppy?

What the hell? Focus on the wedding, you nitwit.

(Since when does Aiden look that much like a caveman, by the way? Is it like, the more unattractive his character gets with the whole self righteousness, the more cro-magnon Aidan Turner gets? I wonder)

...Ghost Dixie choosing the wedding as an appropriate venue to pass a message to Jake: "Tad needs you, Jake." Really, do these people not understand the concept of a wedding and how it's the day for the happy couple and not the petty drama going on in your life? You know what Tad needs, Ghost Dixie? A smack in the face and more scenes with people like Angie, Jesse and Greg, because they bring his charm out in ways that Krystal just can't

...I know that I sound bitter about this, but I do not like the new Colby. She's nothing special, acting wise, and I miss Ambyr Childers and if you just squint at the new girl really quickly, she looks a little like Lindze Leatherman and thinking about that makes me mad all over again that General Hospital killed her off

...what the hell was with JR and Babe "getting closer" and "getting friendlier"?

It calls to mind the episode of The Golden Girls where the girls go to Dorothy's goddaughter's wedding and Rose admits that weddings make her...hot, which led her to compliment the priest on his ass and ask if people want to take their clothes off and do the hokey pokey.

...if AMC is capable of being this stellar, why are they not this stellar all the time? Don't taunt me with greatness and then snatch it back.

But those are minor quibbles. This was an awesome, fantastic episode and it is physically painful that the show almost immediately devolved into the usual crap (RIP Julia--a post on that is to come later on).

Comments

[Cece]

You are so on the money, you need your own lottery numbers. Reading your recap made me weepy at work. Dammit! Now I need to fix my makeup. Good call on sour-pussed Greenlee.

I already tolerate her in doses. Now AMC intercuts the best wedding eva with Greenlee the baby snatcher getting pissy that her fiance screwed up during a time of grief? The hell?

Anywho, good job, as always Mallory.

[midnight_tiptoes]

I started crying watching those Greg, Jessie and Angie scenes on youtube. the way they all went to say goodbye to their old friend. Just amazing.

I was iffy on the Ne-YO thing(BTW, are you my twin? that is the only rihanna song I've been known to hate.) but I actually...kinda liked it.

Great job, AMC! For making such a wonderful episode. watch. learn. repeat

[Beth]

OMG, I was in soap opera heaven watching those shows. THAT'S how a sweeps stunt should be done, people! Everything, from the writing (?!?!?!) to the acting to the set design to the costume designers to, heck, even the CGI that didn't make me laugh (well, too much) was sublime. History, LOVE, ROMANCE, familes, and a little action thrown in, but not enough to overshadow the story. And heck, I could even put up with All Greenlee's Crap since they actually gave that story some frickin' movement finally. Excellent! AMC and OLTL have had fantastic sweeps periods, and I hope it pays off for them in ratings.

Another quick note about the CGI. Uhm, GH? A word? The difference between AMC's CGI looking decent and your CGI looking like an erector set made on an Atari is that AMC had the sense not to use the CGI to cover up a story so bad it almost defies the laws of gravity. CGI should ENHANCE the story, not just BE the story. Take some notes, K?

[Becky]

Mallory, I loved your post nearly as much as I loved the wedding. OMG! A soapy soap wedding. It's been too long.

I would hate Darnell and Debbi if I didn't love them so much! Stunningly beautiful, both of them. I don't know that I love them more than chocolate because my love of chocolate is deeply powerful thing, but I'd be willing to give it up for a short time for more Angie & Jesse wonderfulness.

AMC mostly screws it all up, but this was fabulous and how a sweeps period should be - a big event that bring the cast together (that isn't exclusively about danger and adventure and CGI crap), romance, history, connections, revealing secrets, wrapping up some stories and changing the direction of others. And AMC did this? Color me impressed.

I cried throughout the entire wedding and through this recap.

[Becca]

So, is Laurence Lau just never planning on aging? He looks the same as when he was Jamie on AW 20 years ago!

You know I adore you and have thoroughly enjoyed your week-long giddiness over this great soapy wedding, but at some point I think we need to harsh your buzz a bit by discussing the top of that wedding gown and its fugliness.

[Zelda]

I totally agree. This was one of the best episodes I've seen in a while. Honestly, I'm having a hard time watching all of the Hubbard ceremony...it was a little too squishy for my taste. She did look beautiful though...if she could bottle & sell her flawless skin, we'd all be better for it. Overall, it was so nice to watch AMC & be excited to see what happens next.

[Cate]

This wedding and this couple have me back watching and liking AMC, I didn't think anything was capable of that. Like you said everything about it was just so good and the drama that is going to follow seems promising.

I've decided for my own sanity that the character of Greenlee and any drama surrounding her does not exist, she just makes me so unbelievably mad. seriously Kendall and Aidan sleeping together doesn't even come close to half of the horrible things Greenlee has done to people over the years. It's only been like 8 months since she kidnapped Kendall's son and was resposible for both of Kendall's children almost dying, and Kendall forgave and even apologized to her for blaming her for Spike's deafness. Kendall would have to do a lot more than just sleeping with Aidan to catch up to Greenlee in wrong doings. and what's with Jackson feeding into Greenlee selfish righteous bitchiness, i thought he was better than that. These are my final thoughts on this storyline because I'm just not going to watch anymore scenes with Greenlee in them.

I think nu-Colby caught nu-Babe's lack of personality and expression. JR and Babe reunion #??=ickiness that i will be fast forwarding through.

[Lauren]

Aw, Mallory, I love ya. Reading this has made me excited to sit down with a box of tissues and watch the wedding. (On a similarly related note, for different reasons, though, I'm also ready to sit down with a box of tissues and finally watch Steve's 'death' scenes on Days. I must need a good cry.) I do have to agree with Becca here, though, and squint my eyes at the top of Angie's dress. Um, what's going on there? It's like a cross between something out of Girl's Just Want to Have Fun and one of my rad Barbie "designs" I was so proud of in the 5th grade.

[deputman]

"So, is Laurence Lau just never planning on aging? He looks the same as when he was Jamie on AW 20 years ago!"

Sadly for her, poor Kim Delaney has aged enough for all four of them.

[Kat]

I watched this on YouTube, and shrieked through the whole thing "THIS! THIS! THIS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!"

I mean, seriously, that is why we watch soaps. A gorgeous set, gorgeous clothes, fantastic actors with tons of chemistry and lots of history. Romance. Why is it so hard for TPB to get that this is what we want!

[Lauren]

Aaaaand my crush on James Franco grows even deeper. How is it that he can be super cute, super talented and artsy AND subversively funny? HOW?! (What a cute little brother, too..."You smell it.") Damn. Sorry for going off topic, but, hey, you brought him up. Now, I'll have to spend the rest of the day cyber-stalking him.

[Jenny]

That was a fabulous soap wedding. If AMC was just Jessie, Angie, Tad, Opal & Greg all the time, I'd never miss an episode. And I'm really loving RPG's Jake.

[Mallory]

Lauren, isn't James Franco just the dreamiest? I lovelovelove him.

I can't cosign the hatred of the top of the wedding dress just because...it's Angie! She could have worn, like, a gold lame tank top and I would have been all "SHE LOOKS SO GORGEOUS, OMG". The character is awesome and Debbi Morgan is pretty enough to make me ignore any sort of fashion faux pas.

Becca, it was not the whole dress, just that one bleeping shoulder! And I was glad for that one minor off detail, or I might have passed out from the perfection of the rest of the wedding.

[LauraBB]

The dress gave me a start too but... I decided that if you chopped of the hanging down side and made it just like the normal side it would be fine. So I went ahead and did that in my head and it was better. I have a lot of practice chopping off the weird stuff from TV in my head because I watch all three ABC stories...
All in all we really can't ask for more though. In addition to the history and family and romance and beautiful people I did enjoy the action parts too. Did anyone notice how the good guys teamed up against the bad guy? I liked that part. It kind of reminded me of GH back in the "good guys teaming up" day. And the bad guy/killer wasn't the hero. His only pain is that he wants the big diamond and it isn't a secret anymore. I could get used to that.
I usually FF weddings but this one was really good. The vows felt more real than usual. Is that good writing or good acting I wonder. Maybe both?
All the recasts on this show lately have been bland blonds replacing someone who was not bland. Yuck! Maybe the GH casting guy could work for both shows...
Anyway, ITA Angie and Jessie are adorable. Does anyone know how Darnell got that crescent scar on his forehead?

[Sarah]

A truly beautiful elegant and emotional soap wedding where I love both bride and groom enormously and the right guests are there and also participating? I must be smoking crack, this can't be ABCDAYTIME.

[Ava]

Can Greg come back to the show full-time? That's what I want to know. Laurence Lau is still GORGEOUS, and he has more presence onscreen even now, when Greg hardly knows half the cast, than most of their current regulars. And if they're bringing back Liza, that's even more reason!

[PhyllisShnell]

Right again, as usual. Great commentary. Debbi Morgan looks good. I hate her. LOL

[wick]

It always astounds me how I flove the Days write ups and vehemently disagree with the AMC write ups - except for this one (minus the GL/Aidan snark - I love them.)

It was truly a spectacular wedding - everyting a soap wedding should be!

I do disagree about DiorShow black out - totally overrated. If you want an awesome truly black mascara - try Fresh SuperNova. It kicks Dior's ass!

[Dre]

Yeah I agree. This episode was one of the best on AMC in a very long time. Just real messed up how it all ended with the shootings. R.I.P. Julia Santos-Kiefer.

[horselover]

Yes, this is why we (used to) watch soaps. It's amazing that this is an ABC soap. Watch and learn, GH. And AMC, keep up the great work!

[Cece]

Side note: Can I get in a shout out for new Jake?? He is soooo much better than the last Jake. I was reluctant to accept him in the role just becuase I loved him as Dean on AW and Jake is so ... so ... milquetoast. But now Jake has a personality. And he's not bland. And he's a hot doctor who saves lives. A+++

AMC, you are slowly starting to redeem yourself. Slooooowly.

This whole episode reminded me of old school soap. You had these couples that you'd rooted for forever, and they'd overcome impossible odds, and then they'd finally get together, and it was the event of the season, a celebration of the story, incorporating the history of the characters, and the couple together, involving the whole town, and managing to fit action, adventure, romance, humour, friendship and family into one story. I almost cried when Greg met Jenny's namesake (and yes Lau has a seriously aging portrait in his attic somewhere because the dude didn't age a day, like Angie and Jessie) and the flashbacks and the way they remembered Jenny and didn't diminish her romance with Greg was wonderful.

Too often on soaps (okay GH) the wedding is nothing to look forward to or get excited about, because you know it's the end of the story. One of them will be cheating by the honeymoon and they'll be divorced before their first anniversary and calling someone new their "only true love." It was nice to be reminded, in an era where sometimes the term supercouple is bandied about too lightly by network execs, what a true supercouple is. A couple that can make me swoon again after 20 years, one child and a death in between, that's a supercouple. So keep your newfangled teens and manufactured chemistry free pairings dictated by actor preference or network whims, and leave me the real ones.

[ravensymonedating]

Who ever so this person really is (who is definitely NOT you) and who keeps on dreaming of matching up Raven with such god awful gangsta rap like artists like "Lil' Wayne" and Omarion is really outta their mind.

Raven is proudly not emulating [url=http://forums.thedailywtf.com/members/onlinedating.aspx]who is Raven Symone dating[/url] the Jonas Brothers for their "pure" lifestyles...sure, she's older tham them(and maybe doesn't listen to their music),date some such immoral folks can like those two rappers!

Also, Raven dating Evan Ross(Diana Ross' oldest son), now that would be a MORALLY better match!

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