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→‎Storyline: Order. How come I didn't notice this until now? It wasn't that long that I watched their scenes on YouTube. Plus... Oh well. Fixed now.
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Maggie reconnects with her family, [[Vanessa Bennett|Vanessa Cortlandt]], [[Leo du Pres]] and [[David Hayward]], whom she barely knows. Bianca bonds with Maggie. Together, they work to find Frankie’s killer. After discovering Frankie was killed by her Aunt Vanessa’s [[henchman]], Maggie confronts Vanessa. Maggie is drugged and left to die in an abandoned [[pump house]], but is rescued by David and Leo.<ref>{{cite web| first=Karen | last=Watkins |title=TEMPTED TO BREAK MY OWN RULES....|publisher=[[About.com]]|date=[[2002-02-27]]|accessdate=2007-08-03|url=http://allmychildren.about.com/library/recaps/2002/bl20020227.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| first=Karen | last=Watkins |title=PLAN "B"...|publisher=[[About.com]]|date=[[2002-03-04]]|accessdate=2007-08-03|url=http://allmychildren.about.com/library/recaps/2002/bl20020304.htm}}</ref>
Maggie reconnects with her family, [[Vanessa Bennett|Vanessa Cortlandt]], [[Leo du Pres]] and [[David Hayward]], whom she barely knows. Bianca bonds with Maggie. Together, they work to find Frankie’s killer. After discovering Frankie was killed by her Aunt Vanessa’s [[henchman]], Maggie confronts Vanessa. Maggie is drugged and left to die in an abandoned [[pump house]], but is rescued by David and Leo.<ref>{{cite web| first=Karen | last=Watkins |title=TEMPTED TO BREAK MY OWN RULES....|publisher=[[About.com]]|date=[[2002-02-27]]|accessdate=2007-08-03|url=http://allmychildren.about.com/library/recaps/2002/bl20020227.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| first=Karen | last=Watkins |title=PLAN "B"...|publisher=[[About.com]]|date=[[2002-03-04]]|accessdate=2007-08-03|url=http://allmychildren.about.com/library/recaps/2002/bl20020304.htm}}</ref>


As the storyline progresses, Maggie begins to care for her family, but her bond with Bianca grows even stronger. She becomes furious, however, when a drunken Bianca attempts to caress her face. Maggie asserts that she is not a lesbian, unlike her sister.<ref>{{cite web| first=Karen | last=Watkins |title=THE PARTY'S OVER....|publisher=[[About.com]]|date=[[2002-04-29]]|accessdate=2007-08-03|url=http://allmychildren.about.com/library/recaps/2002/bl20020429.htm}}</ref> Bianca and Maggie reconcile. The two develop a solid friendship after Maggie assists Bianca in confronting some [[Homophobia|homophobic]], high school bullies. They attend prom together as a platonic couple.<ref name=WWw.soapcentral.com/> Bianca develops the fear that she is using Maggie as a replacement to Frankie, and the sexual tension between the two causes Bianca to push Maggie into dating a guy named Tim Dillon for a while.<ref name="abc.go.com">{{cite web| title=ABC Maggie Stone Biography|publisher=abc.go.com|accessdate=2008-01-24|url=http://abc.go.com/daytime/allmychildren/bios/mary_margaret_(maggie)_stone.html
As the storyline progresses, Maggie begins to care for her family, but her bond with Bianca grows even stronger. She becomes furious, however, when a drunken Bianca attempts to caress her face. Maggie asserts that she is not a lesbian, unlike her sister.<ref>{{cite web| first=Karen | last=Watkins |title=THE PARTY'S OVER....|publisher=[[About.com]]|date=[[2002-04-29]]|accessdate=2007-08-03|url=http://allmychildren.about.com/library/recaps/2002/bl20020429.htm}}</ref> Bianca and Maggie reconcile. The two develop a solid friendship after Maggie assists Bianca in confronting some [[Homophobia|homophobic]], high school bullies. They attend prom together as a platonic couple.<ref name=WWw.soapcentral.com/> Bianca develops the fear that she is using Maggie as a replacement to Frankie, and the sexual tension between the two causes Bianca to push Maggie into briefly dating a guy named Tim Dillon.<ref name="abc.go.com">{{cite web| title=ABC Maggie Stone Biography|publisher=abc.go.com|accessdate=2008-01-24|url=http://abc.go.com/daytime/allmychildren/bios/mary_margaret_(maggie)_stone.html
}}</ref> Bianca later provides comfort for Maggie when Leo is killed, and decides to confront Maggie about her feelings. Maggie admits that she loves Bianca, but asserts that she is "into guys", and apologizes for not being able to be her lover.<ref>{{cite web| first=Karen | last=Watkins |title=THE KEY WORD IS 'FRIEND'....|publisher=[[About.com]]|date=[[2003-01-06]]|accessdate=2007-08-03|url=http://allmychildren.about.com/library/recaps/2003/bl20030106.htm}}</ref> Bianca admits that she is hurt, but vows to move on. Maggie enrolls at Pine Valley University, where she enters into a romantic relationship with a guy named Henry Chin. Despite the tension caused by Henry’s traditional [[Chinese]] family, who see Maggie as a distraction, it is Henry cheating off of Maggie's test that causes their relationship to end.<ref name=soapoperadigest.com/> Bianca, also a student at the university, cheers Maggie up. Still looking for romance, she begins dating [[Lena Kundera]], and becomes oblivious to Maggie’s signs of jealousy.<ref name=afterEllen.com/>
}}</ref> Bianca later provides comfort for Maggie when Leo is killed, and decides to confront Maggie about her feelings. Maggie admits that she loves Bianca, but asserts that she is "into guys", and apologizes for not being able to be her lover.<ref>{{cite web| first=Karen | last=Watkins |title=THE KEY WORD IS 'FRIEND'....|publisher=[[About.com]]|date=[[2003-01-06]]|accessdate=2007-08-03|url=http://allmychildren.about.com/library/recaps/2003/bl20030106.htm}}</ref> Bianca admits that she is hurt, but vows to move on. Maggie enrolls at Pine Valley University, where she enters into a romantic relationship with a guy named Henry Chin. Despite the tension caused by Henry’s traditional [[Chinese]] family, who see Maggie as a distraction, it is Henry cheating off of Maggie's test that causes their relationship to end.<ref name=soapoperadigest.com/> Bianca, also a student at the university, cheers Maggie up. Still looking for romance, she begins dating [[Lena Kundera]], and becomes oblivious to Maggie’s signs of jealousy.<ref name=afterEllen.com/>


Revision as of 11:56, 18 February 2008

Maggie (seated) and Bianca (standing).

Bianca Montgomery and Maggie Stone are fictional characters and a supercouple from the American daytime drama All My Children.[1] Bianca is portrayed by Eden Riegel, and Maggie is portrayed by Elizabeth Hendrickson. Hendrickson was originally brought on as character Frankie Stone; the storyline revolved around the close relationship of Bianca and Frankie, as well as the aftermath of Frankie's death. When her death attracted criticism, writer Richard Culliton decided to bring the actress back as the character's identical twin sister, Maggie Stone. Maggie debuted on the show in 2002, to investigate her sister's murder, and was immediately thereafter set up to bond with Agnes Nixon's 1988 creation, Bianca Montgomery.

The two characters became the center of a much campaigned for on-again, off-again romantic flirtation (and later romance) that spanned four years.[2] Star-crossed true loves, the pairing was designed to have many ups and downs. Friendship and security in their need for solidarity. Sexual confusion and ambiguity in their fight to remain platonic.

Despite the couple taking three and a half years to make their romance official, they managed to constantly intrigue not only the All My Children audience, but soap opera critics and LGBT magazines and websites such as The Advocate and AfterEllen.com, ultimately becoming the most demanded homosexual pairing in American daytime soap opera history.[3]

Background

Writing

Former All My Children head writer Richard Culliton stated that he had always intended for his character creation Frankie Stone to die in a murder storyline.[4] She was to only exist for three months. However, what Culliton or any ABC executive did not expect was fan reaction being positive in notable numbers for the love story of characters Bianca Montgomery and Frankie,[4] a storyline Culliton developed with Frankie's debut. When Frankie was killed, there was concern that the show was afraid to focus on a lesbian romance.[4] Eventually, Culliton came up with the idea to bring the popular actress who had portrayed Frankie, Elizabeth Hendrickson, back as the character's identical twin sister.[4] He continued to write for the show until late 2002.[5]

Brian Frons, who began his career at CBS and moved to NBC, where he became head of NBC Daytime at age 26, carried one specific ideal concerning soap operas with him: It is important for soap operas to get real. Frons felt that soap opera clichés were well-known by viewers.[6] He further relayed that real life is unpredictable. Having once worked with SBS Broadcasting for six years in England, when he returned to the U.S., his perspective about daytime television dramas now drew from current popular culture, stating that he understood "that people were watching authentic people in reality shows and believed people wanted soap characters to become more real."[6]

As head of ABC Daytime, in 2002, with Jean Dadario Burke as executive producer, Frons had ABC begin adding more depth to All My Children's Bianca Montgomery, the lesbian daughter of Susan Lucci's Erica Kane, as originally scripted by Agnes Nixon. Feeling that Bianca was defined only by her sexuality, they began writing her character "to become everywoman, to make her more real and to understand what makes her good or bad."[6] When it came to Bianca's best friend, Maggie Stone, while initially being uncertain whether to romantically pair Maggie with Bianca, the writers of All My Children later outlined the character to have trouble in admitting to being gay. Such plot points included Maggie dating male characters to avoid her romantic feelings for Bianca.[6][7] And Bianca was given a lesbian love interest to complicate matters further.[8] At the time, in an interview to New York Post, Frons stated that he considered the Bianca and Lena Kundera pairing "much bolder" television than romantically pairing Bianca with "longtime" galpal Maggie.[8] Unsure about whether romantically pairing Maggie with a man would be successful, he was quoted as saying, "Maybe it will turn out we made a mistake. Maybe it will be decided that Maggie has no chemistry with Henry because she is a lesbian and wasn't ready to deal with it."[8]

When choosing Maggie's love interests, the audience often seemed to have more say about the matter than Frons himself. Before Maggie's relationship with character Henry Chin came to an end, viewers refused to give their romance a chance,[9] adamant that the only true love for Maggie had to be Bianca Montgomery. Ivan Shaw, Henry's then-portrayer, relied on optimism: "I have definitely felt the heat from all of the Bianca and Maggie fans, but hope that the Henry and Maggie relationship will eventually win them over."[10]

Viewers did not, however, let up in their feeling that Henry was not the right choice for Maggie, and the writers soon created an exit for Henry to leave town. Almost immediately thereafter Maggie was seen questioning her sexual orientation, eventually realizing her romantic feelings for Bianca. Her "coming-out" process was designed as going from denial, to confusion, to acceptance of her sexuality[11] — realistically portraying what a lot of lesbian and bisexual women experience.[11] Maggie's journey into her sexuality was what All My Children viewers never truly saw with Bianca, since Bianca had already accepted her sexuality when she returned to Pine Valley after some time of absence from the series.[11]

Early scenes between Bianca and Maggie revolved around Bianca romantically desiring Maggie, and as time went on, Lena and Maggie glaring at each other while Bianca would discuss her baby or her mother, seemingly unaware of Maggie's newly developed romantic feelings for her.[11]

By the time Megan McTavish had stepped in as All My Children head writer with Julie Hanan Carruthers as executive producer, McTavish explained that Maggie's involvement with character Jonathan Lavery was as much a result of her feeling rejected by Bianca as anything else.[7] After the Lena/Bianca/Maggie love triangle, a storyline viewers never did warm up to,[7] a story arc was written with a real sense of direction toward a Jonathan/Maggie/Bianca love triangle. This second love triangle, though reversed to hold interest, was cited as being slow at times, and escaped praise as well.[7] It did, however, include an abusive aspect that kept viewers invested: Jonathan was an abuser, and Bianca fought to free Maggie of his control.

Early cycle

Increased drama, relationship cycle
  Extent Relationship
Friendship
Romance Continuous possibility Intense
Jealousy Common Awkward
Verge of a romance Admitting to feelings Ambiguous, often involving obstacles or denial; Maggie having sex with men to negate her sexual attraction to Bianca
Physical contact/specific interaction
Hugs Common Relaxed; awkward in later stages when fighting attraction
Intimate glares Common Overprotectiveness/desire
Saving each other Common Maggie saves Bianca from despair; Bianca continuously tries to save Maggie from violence and abuse
Talks Often Funny, complicated, painful

Success of cycle

With fan response cited as astoundingly loud for a Bianca and Maggie romance,[12] Frons felt that Bianca and Maggie had become the supercouple of daytime during their flirtatious reign on All My Children.[6] In having added more drama to the couple's relationship by involving Maggie with an abusive boyfriend and having Bianca save her from that relationship, along with other aspects of the couple's dynamic, Frons noted, "It was very real and had not been done in daytime [television] before."[6]

Actresses' approach

Hendrickson had not planned on ever being on a soap opera. She felt that the soap opera medium would not be challenging enough for her as an actress. However, after a few years of struggling to acquire a steady acting job, she decided to give the daytime genre a chance and agreed to a contract role with the show All My Children. Within her first day on the series, she realized how challenging it could be.[12]

Coincidentally, one year before Hendrickson signed on, Eden Riegel had also displayed apprehension about joining a soap opera, confessing that she was elitist.[13] Her thought-process at the time of being offered the role of Bianca Montgomery was that she could not possibly appear on a soap opera,[13] as she had previously been more about performing on Broadway. But after her parents urged her to take the role of Bianca, she eventually did.[13]

Two years later, in 2002, All My Children introduced Maggie Stone, and soon embarked on a will-they-won't-they storyline between her and other resident Pine Valley lesbian, Bianca, although at first hesitant on having Frankie Stone's twin sister be a lesbian as well.[12]

Eden Riegel and Elizabeth Hendrickson were noted by viewers as having immediate on-screen chemistry together. Magazine Soap Opera Digest wanted to know the key to their working dynamic.[12] The two women, though both heterosexual in real life, stated that they "just clicked", that they make each other laugh and really cannot help but like each other.[12]

When later queried on the matter of the significant viewer demand for a romance between Bianca and Maggie, the two were more than upfront about their desire for gay and or lesbian representation in the form of love stories on television, with Riegel stating first: "I think Liz will agree that it would be an amazing storyline. It would be an important storyline. Every single day, I meet a fan who has been spoken to personally by what they see on the screen. I realize what an incredible opportunity we have to show a real love between two women that really speaks to people and can promote tolerance and respect."[12]

Hendrickson followed up Riegel's response: "That's one of the reasons that I took the role of Frankie. They didn't necessarily say that Frankie was going to be a lesbian, but they alluded to the fact that she could be. I felt that I could make an impact, and what better way to choose a role? I am more than willing to go that way."[12]

Riegel and Hendrickson commented on how their roles as Bianca and Maggie affected them, with Riegel citing that her meeting the fans has shown that she has actually impacted their lives, and that when their fans eagerly address them about the Bianca and Maggie storyline, it makes them care about these two characters even more; it is not just a job to them.[12]

Music

Music within the Bianca and Maggie relationship consists of a mixture of soft rock, indie, pop and the show's own original melodies. Romantic and or otherwise powerful undertones are always present within these scenes. In a less hectic time for the characters, an original song titled "All I Ever Wanted Was You" was played during a scene where Bianca and Maggie discussed their feelings for each other, but decided to remain best friends.[14]

In a more difficult instance, on July 8 2003, during a pivotal scene in which Bianca is raped, Tori Amos's version of "I'm Not In Love" was featured prominently on the show. The following day, the show broadcast a RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) PSA after the program. In response to the rape storyline of Bianca, fans of the Bianca and Maggie relationship organized a charity auction on eBay that ran throughout the month of July 2003 with all proceeds having gone to RAINN.[15]

Original and featured music on the show All My Children was followed through by composers A.J. Gundell, Gary Kuo, Kim Oler and Jerry Pilato, and in 2004, they were nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the 31st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement In Music Direction And Composition For A Drama Series.[16]

Storyline

File:Bianca first meeting Maggie.jpg
Bianca and Maggie first meet.

In 2002, Maggie Stone comes to Pine Valley to investigate the murder of her twin sister, Frankie, whom Bianca mistakes her for at first sight.[17] Their meeting is set up by Kendall Hart, Bianca's sister, who loathes Bianca. She figures that Bianca will be hurt by seeing someone who looks exactly like Frankie, Bianca's deceased girlfriend.[18] Maggie explains who she is, but Bianca is too happy to see Frankie’s face, that Maggie’s words are not immediately understood. Kendall's plan having backfired, the two meet later, where they discuss Frankie in further detail.

Maggie reconnects with her family, Vanessa Cortlandt, Leo du Pres and David Hayward, whom she barely knows. Bianca bonds with Maggie. Together, they work to find Frankie’s killer. After discovering Frankie was killed by her Aunt Vanessa’s henchman, Maggie confronts Vanessa. Maggie is drugged and left to die in an abandoned pump house, but is rescued by David and Leo.[19][20]

As the storyline progresses, Maggie begins to care for her family, but her bond with Bianca grows even stronger. She becomes furious, however, when a drunken Bianca attempts to caress her face. Maggie asserts that she is not a lesbian, unlike her sister.[21] Bianca and Maggie reconcile. The two develop a solid friendship after Maggie assists Bianca in confronting some homophobic, high school bullies. They attend prom together as a platonic couple.[18] Bianca develops the fear that she is using Maggie as a replacement to Frankie, and the sexual tension between the two causes Bianca to push Maggie into briefly dating a guy named Tim Dillon.[22] Bianca later provides comfort for Maggie when Leo is killed, and decides to confront Maggie about her feelings. Maggie admits that she loves Bianca, but asserts that she is "into guys", and apologizes for not being able to be her lover.[23] Bianca admits that she is hurt, but vows to move on. Maggie enrolls at Pine Valley University, where she enters into a romantic relationship with a guy named Henry Chin. Despite the tension caused by Henry’s traditional Chinese family, who see Maggie as a distraction, it is Henry cheating off of Maggie's test that causes their relationship to end.[9] Bianca, also a student at the university, cheers Maggie up. Still looking for romance, she begins dating Lena Kundera, and becomes oblivious to Maggie’s signs of jealousy.[11]

In 2003, summer, Bianca is raped by Michael Cambias;[24] Maggie helps her through the mental anguish during the aftermath,[25] and Bianca keeps the rape a secret from everyone else. She attributes her change in attitude to her ended relationship with Lena.[18] Maggie tries to persuade her to go to the police, but Bianca convinces Maggie not to talk to them, saying that she will not either.[18]

When Michael avoids punishment for raping Bianca, Maggie buys a gun and plans to kill him.[22] Bianca soon discovers that she is pregnant with Michael's child and decides that she will keep the baby. Fearing that her mother, Erica Kane, will resent her baby due to having been raped before as well, Bianca decides that she is going to leave town to give birth to the child and inform everyone on her return that she adopted. Erica finds out about her pregnancy, however, and encourages her to have an abortion for her own sake. Bianca says that she will, but secretly changes her mind. During this time, Kendall finds out, and she and Bianca grow close. The two forge a deep sisterly bond.[18]

Michael's dead body turns up before Maggie can kill him. It is revealed that as she stood outside Michael's condo, she saw two mysterious figures dragging a large bag from it, causing her to flee.[22] Everyone a suspect in Michael's murder at this point, Maggie tells Bianca that even though he deserved it, she could not have killed him in cold blood.

File:Maggie and Bianca (D).jpg
Maggie stuns both Bianca and herself when she turns to kiss Bianca.

Over time, Maggie begins to show more signs that she desires Bianca, making excuses to distance herself from Bianca after making flattering remarks about her appearance.[26][27] In 2004, Bianca announces to Maggie that she plans to move to Paris, so that she can give birth without her mother finding out, which causes Maggie to become emotional. Maggie confuses herself and Bianca when she kisses Bianca. Embarrassed, Maggie abruptly leaves the apartment and later tells Bianca that the kiss meant nothing.[28] Immediately after their talk, Maggie begins dating Jamie Martin,[22] as Bianca continues her romance with Lena. Everyone becomes aware that Bianca is pregnant when it is revealed that her sister, who was covering for her, is not the pregnant one. The truth about Michael's death is soon unveiled, as it comes to light that Bianca killed Michael in self-defense, not remembering this until Michael's murder trial, where her sister and mother are both willing to confess to killing him. It turns out that the two figures Maggie saw that night at his condo were Kendall and one of Bianca's cousins, trying to protect Bianca.[22] The judge sees the painful ordeal Bianca has been through following her rape and Michael's death, and Bianca is not charged with any crime.[18]

More strife, however, comes when Bianca is told that the baby she just gave birth to is dead. Maggie becomes even more of a support line for her, but Lena leaves town to care for her ailing mother. Maggie eventually professes her love to Bianca, feeling that this is her "coming out" moment.[29] Bianca informs her that she does not want to begin a relationship because she is still in love with Lena and she does not want Maggie regretting her decision later. Hurt by Bianca’s rejection, Maggie distances herself from Bianca and begins dating Jonathan Lavery.[7]

Maggie’s relationship with Jonathan becomes abusive, when Jonathan believes Maggie is secretly in love with Bianca. Jonathan intentionally tries to isolate Maggie from Bianca, and proposes marriage to her. Maggie agrees, but Jonathan’s jealousy turns physical against Maggie. Bianca becomes concerned with Maggie’s relationship, as she feels that something is off about it and later believes Maggie to have lied about a bruise on her face.[18] She visits Jonathan and Maggie’s home while Maggie is alone and tries to reason with her to leave him. Her emotions get the better of her and she kisses Maggie. She confesses that she has fallen in love with her.[30]

Initially dismissing Bianca’s declaration of love, Maggie learns the truth about Jonathan's abusive past with his previous girlfriend and dumps him. Free from Jonathan, Bianca and Maggie decide to move to Paris with Bianca’s newly-discovered-alive daughter, Miranda, in 2005.

I was encouraging Kendall and Zach to get together, so I kept talking about how Maggie and I had been through a lot, but that we are now a full-fledged couple. We've definitely consummated our relationship off camera in Paris, and we're girlfriends! Bianca always rushes home to Maggie as soon as she's done with whatever crisis is going on in Pine Valley because she's the love of her life and Bianca really wants to get home to her.[31]

— Eden Riegel

When Bianca returns for a Christmas visit to Pine Valley, she tells everyone that she and Maggie are an official couple in Paris,[32] advising Zach Slater to be happy with Kendall, because she is very happy with Maggie. However, she returns again near Thanksgiving in 2006. She brings her daughter, and informs everyone that Maggie had an affair with a woman named Cecelia. Bianca says that she would still take Maggie back.[33] But during a phone call, it is clear that Maggie does not want that. Bianca is left further devastated, but still voices to wanting Maggie. However, when Maggie shows up in early 2007 on Bianca's doorstep wanting to renew their romance, Bianca does not,[34] and Maggie later has a confrontation with Zoe, someone who also wants a romance with Bianca. Zoe is a transgender rockstar, biologically male, but identifying herself as a lesbian woman. Zoe asks Maggie how could she cheat on Bianca, and Maggie angers. Harsh words are exchanged between the two. Before the confrontation is over, Maggie warns Zoe not to hurt Bianca, but notes that Zoe will never be Bianca's type, regardless.[35]

On February 7 2007, Maggie meets with Bianca at a park and kisses her, and Bianca admits that she never stopped being in love with Maggie. Despite this, she agrees that Maggie should leave. She relays that she needs some time away from her, but that they can keep in touch through e-mails. Bianca informs her that there is still a chance that they may once again be together. Maggie hugs Bianca. "You're my everything," she says, and walks away.[36]

Cultural impact

File:SIDcover-bam.jpg
Maggie and Bianca on the cover of Soaps In Depth.

Being one of the few or only lesbian romances on television, let alone on daytime,[37] Bianca Montgomery and Maggie Stone's romance gave lesbian viewers a reflection of themselves, whether closeted or out and proud, and thus inspired other lesbian and or gay individuals to admit to their sexuality.[12] Having been well appreciated by heterosexual fans as well,[12] Bianca and Maggie's romance touched on more than just the expected:

When actress Eden Riegel was selected for the role of 16-year-old Bianca on the show All My Children, it was not long before Bianca became the first long-standing character on a soap opera to come out as gay or lesbian.[2]

All My Children was constantly nominated thereafter by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) for its "fair, accurate, and inclusive portrayal" of a lesbian teenager and her mother's process of coming to terms with her daughter's homosexuality.[2]

But Bianca's awful habit of falling romantically for straight women could easily be noted as well, thus keeping her from having an on-screen girlfriend. GLAAD Director of Communications, John Sonego, contends that "Many young, newly out lesbians fall for a close friend, only to discover the friend is straight" and that on television "Unrequited love...and heartbreak are what keep the viewers tuning in — and learning."[2]

With the writing on All My Children, however, the unrequited love angle kept happening to Bianca, especially when she then deeply fell in love with Maggie Stone, who would constantly assert her heterosexuality.[2]

BAM

While GLAAD was pleased with Bianca's lesbian storyline, as demonstrated with their choosing Bianca as their first gay character to receive the Favorite Out Image of the year Award,[38] two years of no on-screen romance had BAM ("Bianca and Maggie") fans enraged. BAM fans set their sights on the writers and executive producers of All My Children in an effort to have them develop a romantic relationship between the two characters.[2] The fans campaigned relentlessly and were pretty vocal, getting their intent across to the All My Children writers and executives.[2] It seemed to work, as top soap opera magazines constantly commented on the rabid fan support for Bianca and Maggie's relationship. Bianca and Maggie were even voted "Best Non-Couple" of the year in the December 31 Soap Opera Digest issue.[2]

All My Children holding off on pairing the two potential lovers only made fans cheer for them more. Their deep discussions and the heated stares they would give each other drew in viewers just as much as any provocative love scene between a heterosexual couple would.[2] Mail bags overflowed with support for Bianca and Maggie, and the show could not ignore the mania any longer.

With BAM supporters taking their campaign up to the next level, such as in February 2003, with letters, videos, t-shirts, and roses to All My Children, they proved to be a force to reckon with, gaining a great deal of attention from most soap opera magazines.[2] The fan group was relentless in its effort to unite the characters, and went to elaborate and glamorous lengths to make their voices known. One such length was the delivery of a wooden clock emblazoned with the message "TIME FOR BAM!" to the ABC studios. "BAM fans, I have the clock," confirmed Hendrickson.[39]

The supporters were known to send various gifts to Riegel and Hendrickson at the All My Children studio, and once planned the launch of a BAM blimp to hover above the building.[40]

"I won't work for several days and then I'll come back and my room is filled with boxes. It's hysterical!" exclaimed Hendrickson.[40]

Hendrickson in her All My Children dressing room, with Absolute BAM poster in the background.

With the group continuously outdoing themselves and showering the actresses with gifts, Hendrickson cited her favorite as being her Absolute BAM [poster], in reference to Absolut Vodka.[40] Riegel also noted the gift: "[BAM] sent me and Liz [Hendrickson] this big package with presents, hats and posters that say 'Absolute BAM'. All of them wrote us these wonderful notes about what the characters and the storyline means to them. I don't know how this happened, but I'm incredibly inspired and energized by it."[3]

"They were raising money to have a BAM blimp," Hendrickson revealed, of one of the group's more extreme efforts, but "highly" doubted that the blimp would [happen]. She did, however, note that it would not surprise her if it did.[40]

When asked if she ever suggests that they give money to charity in the name of BAM, Hendrickson replied, "Yes. Rather than overloading me with presents [for my birthday on July 3], I asked them to donate money to animal shelters: North Shore Animal League and a small shelter in my town called The Little Shelter. I'm a sucker for animals."[40]

Caving in

The fan support for Bianca and Maggie's anticipated romance was thought of as intense by the soap opera media. Award-winning LGBT news site Advocate.com (under the same name as its magazine The Advocate) noticed. "Ironically, the move to provide Bianca with a girlfriend might disappoint the fans who've been cheering the most for it," stated Web Behrens of the website in an April 29 2003 article. "When our lesbian protagonist finally gets her groove on, it won't be with Maggie, who flirted with Bianca for months. That potential pairing spawned a devoted fan club, BAM! (an acronym of the characters' initials), who lobbied the network in really inventive ways, even mailing Bianca-and-Maggie valentines. But the object of Bianca's affection will instead be the mysterious bisexual Lena (played by Olga Sosnovska), a newcomer to the fictional town of Pine Valley."[41]

Jean Dadario Burke, the show's executive producer at the time, was noted as saying, "There was wonderful chemistry with Bianca and Maggie."[41] But Brian Frons, now head of ABC Daytime, gave thoughts to somewhat base his reasoning for not going through with the Bianca and Maggie romance when demand for it was the most prominent:

Rather than trust that momentum, 'cowardly network people that we are, we did some research.' After polling 1,500 soap fans about Bianca's love life, the network found that many viewers wanted Bianca to have a romance — with someone else.[41]

The assessment made by Frons did not entirely seem to add up when compared to a previous article citing the Bianca and Maggie fanbase as one that kept growing bigger, at an unprecedented level in American daytime soap opera history for a homosexual pairing,[3] and were being more and more vocal about what they wanted. The particular report proved true when fans of the romance became known as "a huge die-hard following" by the media.[42][43]

Three years after his 2003 comments, Frons would title the duo the supercouple of daytime.[6]

Maggie's sexuality

Main article: Maggie_Stone § Sexuality

Substantial reasoning fans in the poll Frons alluded to on the matter of Maggie may have wanted to see Bianca with another woman was likely due to Maggie's ambiguous nature during her early relationship with Bianca. Fans had to wonder on more than one occasion whether or not Maggie was gay, which spun into heated debate over whether Maggie or Lena was better romantically suited for Bianca.[44] Elizabeth Hendrickson weighed in on her character's perplexing mixed signals: "There's a huge question mark hanging over her head, isn't there? But I think that almost any woman at that age [has one]. I think every woman and every man, at some point at their life... It's only natural to think twice about your sexual orientation."[12]

Throughout their confrontation, Eden Riegel's Bianca was animated, her hands flailing haphazardly. Elizabeth Hendrickson's Maggie was withdrawn, her expression flat. Hendrickson imbued Maggie with just as much longing as Bianca, but toward a different goal: She wanted to separate herself from her twin, not just as a person but in her sexual identity. Maggie was acting just like a guy — evasive, foot-shuffling, slightly jokey, unable to find the right words. Finally she just said it, plaintively: "Bianca, I love you, I really do...but I'm into guys."[45]

—Soap Opera Weekly on Bianca's confrontation with Maggie about sexuality

Just as noteworthy is that Maggie's sexual identity managed to perplex the soap opera media as well,[46][47][48] who usually have a good grasp on the psyche of soap opera characters. But in this case, their confusion led to even Soaps In Depth putting Bianca and Maggie on the cover of an October issue detailing November storylines with the caption "Together At Last!", though the actual article did not document an opportunity of a romantic relationship between the two.[47]

In a Soap Opera Weekly issue, editor Carolyn Hinsey and Soap Opera Digest/All My Children editor Mara Levinsky sat down to debate Maggie's sexual orientation.[46] Hinsey felt that Maggie was a "flip-flopper" and that it was odd that she could "jump between the sexes" as quickly as she did when, in reality, she wanted Bianca. Levinsky argued Maggie's confusion and frustration. "She's on the rebound, and as likely if not likelier to go out with a guy to try to forget Bianca than a girl," Levinsky stated. "Maggie knows she's attracted to Bianca, but Bianca is the only girl she's ever been attracted to."[46]

Maggie's sexual interaction with guys since her debut on the series, however, was consistently scripted to be in direct response to denial of her feelings for Bianca or what she felt was rejection on Bianca's part toward her.[7] It would not be until years later (see below, Return) that Maggie's attraction to women would be revealed to be about more than Bianca.

Chemistry and media fascination

Bianca and Maggie's romantic chemistry has been praised quite often by critics, who deemed themselves fans as well. The press displayed feelings of being cheated out of opportunities to see the pairing's chemistry play to its fullest as much as the average audience did.

TV Guide soap columnist Michael Logan dubbed the non-relationship as "Rip-Off of the Year" in his January 4 2003 roundup of "The Worst of 2002", simply stating:

AMC teased and titillated us mercilessly with the flirtatious sparks between openly gay Bianca (Eden Riegel) and her buddy Maggie (Elizabeth Hendrickson), but the show — once famous for its boldness — didn't have the guts to put them in a real romance, even though the fans are begging for it. C'mon, AMC! These two have more chemistry than any boy-girl duo in soaps![2]

Later, Bianca and Maggie's first kiss on All My Children was ranked as number four on TV Guide's list of the best same-sex kisses on television.[49][50]

Heather Havrilesky of Salon.com, an online magazine, with content updated each weekday, expressed her thoughts about the never-ending sexual tension between Bianca and Maggie as well, detailing that "Bianca hasn't seen any action at all, partly because she mostly manages to fall for straight or unavailable women, including her close friend Maggie. The two characters have exchanged intimate gazes and frolicked provocatively in countless scenes, the tension becoming so unbearable that frustrated fans formed BAM."[51]

Riegel and Hendrickson were asked by Soap Opera Digest what they thought accounted for their on-screen chemistry. While Riegel replied that "chemistry can't be faked, and when two people like each other, there's an energy between them that's undeniable", Hendrickson stated, "When I started, my friends were telling me what great chemistry we had, and I didn't notice it. But now that I've worked with probably half the cast, I realize what amazing chemistry we have together. I'll have to work with men and really, I'm heterosexual, but I have more chemistry with her! I'm trying to have romances with boys, but I don't know, I just feel it with her!"[12]

On June 13 2004, New York Daily News (the sixth largest daily newspaper in the United States) was added as another aspect of the media taking interest in the love story of Bianca Montgomery and Maggie Stone, when they reported the week in which Maggie would finally admit to being in love with Bianca.[52] The news was followed by soap opera press covering the event as well. "It's the moment BAM fans have been waiting for on All My Children, but thought would never come: Maggie finally 'fesses up to Bianca about her true feelings for her 'best friend'," announced Soap Opera Digest.

Hendrickson was among those most excited about the revelation. She exulted, "It's about time!"[52] She could not believe her eyes when she read the dialogue for her character: "When I read the scene where Maggie tells Bianca she loves her, I was sure that the next day, Maggie would backpedal like she always does, like, 'I meant, "I love you as a friend."' I was so excited to get the next script and find out that she doesn't backpedal. She's honest, forward and open about her feelings. It took her two-and-a-half years, but she does it!"[52]

Hendrickson captured, in the unaffected and eminently relatable fashion so typical of her AMC work, Maggie's mixture of certainty (of her love for and attraction to Bianca) and confusion (what does it all mean?).[53]

—Soap Opera Digest

Despite Maggie confessing her feelings to Bianca, Bianca would be the one to turn down their chance this time, expressing that her heart, in the romantic sense, belonged to Lena.[52]

The performance by Hendrickson in the scenes were praised by soap opera critics, who felt that it added new depth to the character.[54][53]

Merchandising

SOAPnet BAM ID bracelet

On November 1 2004, SOAPnet, described as the new way to watch soaps, launched shopsoapnet.com. An on-line shopping boutique which offers customers SOAPnet-themed items, including products from its original programs I Wanna Be A Soap Star and Soap Talk, as well as exclusive SOAPnet-brand merchandise. SOAPnet stated that they are always looking for unique ways to put a new twist on a long-loved genre. One aspect of their marketing was to make popular soap opera couples a part of the equation. With Bianca and Maggie's visibility as one of the more longed for couples, ABC saw part of their market. "Soap opera fans have a history of supporting character couples and giving their favorite couples nicknames that combine the letters of the characters' names. For example, fans of a Nikolas and Emily pairing on General Hospital refer to the couple as 'NEM.' Shopsoapnet.com will honor this tradition by offering limited edition bracelets engraved with a few of these popular couple names including NEM and BAM. BAM honors a Bianca and Maggie pairing on All My Children," the press release stated.[55]

The Bianca and Maggie (BAM) ID bracelet originally went on sale for $14.95, as seen in the ABC TV Store with the advertisement of the couple's star-crossed predicament:

BAM bracelet — All My Children’s Bianca and Maggie (BAM) may not be a soap super couple...YET! That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show your support for the intriguing duo that can’t quite seem to get together (it’s like they’re distracted or something) with this stylish brushed-pewter/nickel plated ID emblem featuring engraved lettering, a 6 ¾" velvet strap in forest green and adjustable chain strap. Limited edition.[56]

When the two left

Sarah Warn of AfterEllen.com, a website that focuses on the portrayal of lesbians and bisexual women in the media, had previously commented on All My Children taking a step back in giving Bianca a romance. Addressed was Bianca's pregnancy with Miranda, and Warn feeling that "since it almost assures Bianca's continued asexuality in the near future, the pregnant-lesbian storyline is a favorite refuge for TV writers who both want to avoid dealing with the sexual aspects of lesbian relationships and who want to 'normalize' the lesbian characters — to show viewers that, at their core, lesbians are just like heterosexual women." With sarcasm thick, Warn further added, "Who of course, all want to be mothers."[47]

When actresses Eden Riegel and Elizabeth Hendrickson left their roles of Bianca and Maggie together in 2005, with their characters being written out as possible lovers, Warn's tone remained bitter, citing Bianca and Maggie's progression toward romance only after leaving television screens. There was good to weigh in on as well, detail concerning the duo's impact. The article was titled "The End of a Lesbian Era on All My Children." First initiated was a farewell to the pairing: "Today, as All My Children airs its final episode with actresses Eden Riegel and Elizabeth Hendrickson (who have left the series to try their luck elsewhere), we say goodbye to one of American television's longer-running lesbian storylines — a storyline which has alternately entranced, infuriated, delighted and frustrated viewers over the last four and a half years."[37]

As to Bianca and Maggie's star-crossed dynamic, a point was brought up that "while stringing out romantic storylines for maximum drama is appropriate and even expected in daytime television, it is also expected that, eventually, star-crossed couples do get together."[37]

Return

In early 2007, viewers were hit with the stunning news that Maggie had cheated on Bianca. Bianca fled back to Pine Valley, and Maggie soon followed to plead for her forgiveness. Viewers felt that it was completely out of character for Maggie to cheat on Bianca, the one woman she had longed for in what seemed like forever.[57][58] Fans were not the only ones angered. Soap Opera Weekly magazine's January 23 2007 issue quoted Elizabeth Hendrickson as saying that she found out that Maggie cheated on Bianca by watching the show (since her character of Maggie had not returned to Pine Valley at the time): "I was screaming and yelling at the TV. I was very upset. It was a huge shock to me."[52]

Although, there was something Hendrickson was pleased about with the storyline of Maggie returning to chase after Bianca — Maggie's sexuality. It was more than apparent that Maggie had now come to terms with being a lesbian. While upset that Maggie cheated on Bianca, Hendrickson was more than thrilled that Maggie had cheated on Bianca with a woman, confessing that she had always felt that Maggie was leaning more toward the women than the men and that she is glad that the writers made a decision about Maggie's sexuality.[52] Soaps In Depth also sought to clear up Maggie's sexual orientation when they cited her as a lesbian while recapping her history the week of her return.[59]

Maggie being complete in her sexuality with Bianca was something that viewers had wanted for years, but this new side to Maggie was tainted with the storyline of her unfaithfulness, the other new side viewers could not grasp.

Unlike Hendrickson, Riegel found the news of Maggie's betrayal refreshing: "It's so funny how the fans are all up in arms like, 'Maggie would never cheat!' When they told me Maggie was cheating, I went like, 'Woo hoo!' because an actor wants interesting stuff to play."[57] Riegel approached the matter in humor and seriousness: "Oh yeah, Maggie's a slutty lesbian!" Riegel laughed, adding that "because Bianca has now lost this love, she's looking to reinvent herself and looking for answers."[57]

Another element agitating the audience during and after Maggie's return was Bianca's romantic attraction to transgender Zarf/Zoe. Zarf/Zoe was still of the male form, and viewers felt that it was a clear and underhanded way for the show to romantically pair Bianca with a man while getting around that reality.[58]

Victoria A. Brownworth of the San Francisco Bay Area Reporter, Inc., a free weekly newspaper serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) communities, found the storyline to be what she cited as a mess.[60] Brownworth felt that it had an unhealthy angle to it, and made several comments voicing her and her publication's detest toward the romance.[61]

On January 15th, Maggie, Bianca’s not-so-ex ex, comes back to Pine Valley. And there was Bianca on New Year’s Eve, after she fled from Zarf/Zoe, with old pal Leslie (really, the writers actually named the only other lesbian Leslie), who is clearly still ready to take a tumble with Bianca. So there are some actual lesbian lesbians available for Binx. Zarf/Zoe can develop her transgendered lesbian self with someone else, post surgery and hormones.[60]

— Victoria A. Brownworth

TV Guide named Zarf/Zoe, as well as her storyline, one of the worst of 2007.[62]

Maggie eventually returned to Paris at Bianca's request, but with a hint that they may once again be united. "Bianca still loves her," former head writer Megan McTavish assured the audience. "And yet, at the same time, I don't think it's a given that you necessarily forgive the person who cheated on you. So Maggie has an uphill climb."[63]

Criticism

Though the romance received a great deal of positive criticism, there was a part of the audience that saw it as detrimental to both characters, citing that it reinforced the notion that straight women can be "converted" by lesbians, or that lesbians and straight women cannot be friends without sex becoming an issue between them.[44]

Particularly, the topic of what message All My Children was sending with this storyline was brought into question.[44] Was it a storyline about two women in a platonic relationship with each other, where one woman within the relationship fights the fact that she is gay and ends up with the woman she romantically desires, despite such a fight? Or was it about two women in a platonic relationship with each other, where the lesbian in the relationship waits long enough and the straight woman she romantically desires eventually becomes hers? The need viewers had for the show to tell this storyline, a controversial one, responsibly was there.[44] Plenty of lesbian women, while watching Bianca and Maggie's dilemma, remembered how, in their own lives, they lost friendships, were subjected to acts of violence, and family estrangement because of the false belief that all gay/lesbian people are out to "turn" straight people to "their side" and are malicious in trying.[44]

There were a number of message board postings from people who were scared or angered by the possibility of a Bianca and Maggie romance due to the fact that it caused bad memories in significant detail to resurface for them in real-life.[44] It was addressed that it had not been that long for some gays and lesbians that "they could walk out of a bar after a night of fun and dancing and not worry about who was watching them leave."[44]

Sentiment was expressed by Laura N. Cook of The Advocate that "despite assurances to the contrary, the show used Bianca's rape to marginalize Bianca's lover, Lena, and completely cut her out of Bianca's healing and recovery, while having Bianca's 'friend', Maggie, ponder her sexuality again, which added insult to injury."[64]

For the most part, the melodramatic tension between Bianca and Maggie intrigued the audience, and the teasing played into the emotions of viewers who desperately wanted to see the two in a romantic relationship with each other.[51]

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  59. ^ "MAGGIE RETURNS TO AMC!". Soaps In Depth. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)From the AMC Hotsheet: For our newer viewers, here's a re-cap of Maggie's history: She came to town in 2002 after the death of her twin sister Frankie. She dated Henry Chin and Jonathan Lavery (who abused her) before realizing she was gay. She then developed a deep friendship with Bianca Montgomery which turned to love. She left with Bianca in 2005 to attend Medical School in Paris. While in Paris, she cheated on Bianca with another woman. Now, she's returned and wants Bianca back!
  60. ^ a b Brownworth, Victoria A. "THE LAVENDER TUBE: NOTES ON A SCANDAL". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 2007-12-04. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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  63. ^ "February 5th - Week 3.5 of BAM". Soaps In Depth. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)She cried mea culpa, clashed with Zoe and ultimately returned solo to France. Unfortunately, BAM fans, Maggie appears to have left the building. Try though she might, AMC's Maggie can't seem to convince her ex, Bianca, that her cheating days are over. After begging for forgiveness and pitching in at Fusion, Mags makes her lonely exit on Wednesday, February 7. Is this the end for AMC's Sapphic supercouple? "Bianca still loves her," headwriter Megan McTavish assures the audience. "And yet, at the same time, I don't think it's a given that you necessarily forgive the person who cheated on you. So Maggie has an uphill climb." Ms. Stone's ambiguous exit leaves viewers wondering whether she'll return, yet an AMC rep says nothing is planned at this time.
  64. ^ Cook, Laura N. (2004-04-27). "Too much drama". The Advocate. Retrieved 2007-07-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

Further reading

External links


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