"All My Children's" Final Episode Aired Friday on ABC (creative commons)

After 41 drama-filled years on ABC, “All My Children” finally bids farewell to its viewers Friday. With plot twists ranging from evil twins to resurrected dead characters, the show has been an emotional roller coaster for its characters and viewers alike. The finale itself took fans over the edge with a reunion of old characters and a happy ending for the show’s favorite couple.

However, there may still be some hope for fans who don’t know what to do with the gap in weekday mornings. A production company has made plans to possibly continue the show online. This may explain the cliffhanger ending, with one of the characters shooting a gun but no clue as to what happens next.

The show has been revolutionary for soap operas since its discussion of AIDS, Vietnam, and abortion in the 70s. Then in the 80s, AMC offered daytime television’s first African American couple Angie and Jesse. Just in the past decade the show introduced the first gay main character in soap operas and incorporated the Iraq War into its episodes as well.

With its controversial topics and lovable characters, it’s understandable why fans have been dedicated to the show for so long and are now in tears at its end. “All My Children” has been nominated for 30 Best Drama nominations and the cast has had a record of 28 wins at the Daytime Emmys and will hopefully be in the running for next year’s awards season as well. 

Reach writer Megan Singson here