Disclaimer: The following does not reflect the views of Sunset Central or Sunset Beach. This column is a humorous opinion column about Sunset Beach. All views are mine and mine alone. I do not mean to offend or hurt anyone's feelings. This page is meant for fun. Remember, I am also a fan of Sunset Beach, so I do not have any ill intent. A View From The Pier banner was created by Lauren Do*

A Final Farewell December 29, 1999 Wow! I can't believe how fast this year has come and gone. It really feels like only a few months ago that I started working on the site with Jennifer and the other staff members. And also that I only started writing and posting my opinions (no matter how jaded or one-sided they sometimes are) for The View From The Pier. I have had an absolutely great time doing it and hope that you have enjoyed reading it as well. But right now I would like to take this opportunity to talk from the heart, and say a few things that I think WE ALL feel. First, we would like to thank the entire cast of Sunset Beach. December 31st has quickly approached and we are so sorry to see it all of this come to an end. We have been watching from the very beginning, January 6th, 1997, and have been hooked ever since. To see how the once-shy young girl leave everything she knew to be true, and follow her heart to find the man of her dreams. To see a family completely torn apart by the ravages of alcohol, find their way back to one another again, only to loose it in the end. To see how a group of people from all ages, races, and backgrounds become the best of friends and make it through some pretty tough times - was absolutely wonderful. To witness some of the craziest and off-the-wall antics was hysterical Some of the work done on Sunset Beach was the first ever to be accomplished. Yes, I am talking about the fantastic special effects for last summer's blockbuster storylines. We have come to admire the characters, each for different reasons, and think of them not as a fictional bunch of people - but at times, real people going through real life problems and situations. They all in their own way, made us laugh, cry, yell and scream, roll our eyes in disgust, gasp in anticipation and sigh with relief and happiness. And in the end - you all made it completely worth while. Yes, you - the talented and wonderful ensemble of actors on Sunset Beach. Timothy Adams, David Andriole, Shawn Batten, Sam Behrens, Sarah Buxton, Krissy Carlson, Christina Chambers, Hank Cheyne, Eddie Cibrian, Margarita Cordova, Russell Curry, Lesley-Anne Down, Priscilla Garita, Jason George, Dax Griffin, Cristi Ellen Harris, Kam Heskin, Sean Kanan, Andre Khabazzi, Nick Kiriazis, John Martin, Tracy Melchior, Kathleen Noone, Chase Parker, Carol Potter, Clive Robertson, Sherri Saum, Randy Spelling, Michael Strickland, Gordon Thomson, and Susan Ward. You all are a part of something special and unique, and we will never forget it. We Thank You so very much for the work that you have done these past 3 years and hope that you continue to do great and wonderful things in the future - no matter what shore you land on! To the crew of Sunset Beach - all the writers, directors, producers and behind-the-scenes workers who made every day possible with your tireless efforts and dedication - We Thank You for everything you have done, and tried to do to keep the show going. To Aaron Spelling for his desire and willingness to jump into the testy and uneasy waters of Daytime Dramas. You were a complete success - don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. You accomplished something that no one else has ever accomplished before, and we except you to come back again very soon, bigger and better than ever. And finally, to you - the fans of Sunset Beach and Sunset Central. We thank you so very much for your commitment to the show and your commitment to us. We do what we do because we enjoy it, not because we have to or get paid to do it. It is done out of love and admiration for our favorite show. You gave us your opinions on storylines and you contributed in more ways than you could know for this site. Your kindness is greatly appreciated by us all. Sure, there were times and situations throughout these past years that we may not have like as much as others. Certain storylines were hated, while others were completed loved. Characters we thrived on and others we wished were banished forever. But that is what makes a soap opera good. Not have everything so "vanilla" or plain. Who ever said "Variety Is The Spice Of Life" was not joking. She really knew what she was talking about (ha-ha). And yes, our show had a whole lotta spice in it, among other things. We had 2 intention murders that were their own storyline, a fistful of killings that were incorporated into a bigger storyline, some accidental deaths (i.e., Shockwave and Tsunami), kidnappings, blackmail, love potions, cursed jewels, and a whole bag-full of love triangles. But at the very top of that list of what made the show great, were the characters and how they each were portrayed. Personally speaking, there were a few characters that I just couldn't stand - yet when I think back and ask myself "Why wasn't he/she portrayed differently, or better?" And the answer is simple: because it wouldn't have worked. What interest would we have had in the Michael/Vanessa love story if there weren't another person trying to break them apart. Now I wasn't thrilled, to say the least, with Virginia Harrison's tactics. But I do realize that the entire storyline would not have worked if she didn't do the things she did. It really is a shame that the writers went a little too far with the (a-hum) turkey-baser incident and put Virginia into a corner that she would never be able to come back from. Dominique Jennings was a true marvel in the role and I was sorry to see her go. The same can be said for a few other players who left the sandy beaches over the years. Francesca Vargas was another one that I didn't want to see leave, and thought that she brought the "vileness" role to a whole new level. Some of her best performances came only a few short weeks before her demise. The entire "Who Killed Francesca" plot was one of the best whodunits in daytime that I have ever seen. The writers kept us guessing right up until the very end. There were also some characters that I think should have left town a long time ago, and their presence only hindered the show's growth, rather than helped it. Tim Truman for example, never really had his own decent story until a few months ago. Then it became apparent that he would not be living out the rest of his days on the Beach. The entire time that Tim was in Sunset Beach, all he did was make things worse for Meg and Ben. Talk about compulsive-obsessive. At least Annie knew when to fold her cards and move on to the next lucky devil. Anyway, what I am trying to say is that all in all, the show was great and it is definitely going to be missed. I don't think that another show will come along and come even close to what Sunset Beach was like, or give us the same feeling we had about it. Oh sure, they may try, but it will never be duplicated. Because Sunset Beach is and will always be "an original". So, in closing - the members of Sunset Central and I would like to thank everyone involved in this wonderful adventure, and wish you continued good health and success in the new Millennium. I usually sign off by saying "So stay tuned and check back soon for another View From The Pier." Well, that doesn't apply anymore, so instead I would like to sign off by saying something that I use to say when I was a little girl with a group of special friends that I had. "May the Lord Watch Between Me and Thee While We Are Absent From One Another. Until We Meet Again. Farewell." 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