Soaps In Depth
June 21, 2005
Gold Star

Catherine Hickland (Lindsay) is this issue’s outstanding performer!

They say you don’t appreciate what you’ve got until it’s gone. And while we’ve long reveled in the vivacious performances of ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Catherine Hickland (Lindsay), it seems a cruel irony that some of her finest work has come hot on the heels of news that the soap she has called home since 1998 had bumped her from contract to recurring status.

Death Becomes Her
If there is one thing we’ve known about Lindsay Rappaport from the beginning, it is that she is something of a drama queen. Give this gal an inch, and she’ll drag your man to the Mile High Chapel while you try and get a restraining order. And as what might well have been the worst day of her life began, Lindsay was doing what she does best: going off on someone. Actually, two someones, as she blasted both Nora and Riley without breaking a sweat. It was classic Lindsay, all worked up with nowhere to go. But unbeknownst to the beauty, forces were silently aligning against her, as a few feet away, Bo received news that Jen had supposedly taken her life.

Instantly, Jen’s mom went from denial (“No, Bo,” she cried out, “that’s wrong!”) to anger as she lashed out at Riley, blaming both him and Daniel for the untimely death of her daughter.

The Quiet Storm
Ironically, it was longtime rival Nora who summoned the one person who could offer Lindsay some level of comfort: RJ. With him by her side, the visibly shaken Lindsay turned to Bo and, her voice breaking, pleaded, “Take me to see my little girl.”

At the morgue, any attempt Lindsay might have made to deny the unbearable truth was shattered as a blanket was pulled back and Jen’s face was revealed. Slowly approaching her beloved daughter, Lindsay whispered, “I love you, baby,” before laying her tear-streaked face upon Jen’s chest.

It takes a powerhouse of an actress to create a character we love to hate, and Hickland did that long ago. But rarer still is the performer who can wring tears out of an audience who has spent years honing a “We want to see her character suffer” attitude, which is exactly what Hickland did during these incredibly powerful episodes.

It’s nothing short of a sin for OLTL to even consider putting so talented an actress – and beloved character – on the backburner. Our fondest hope? That either the show will recognize the folly of this decision, or Hickland will quickly be snapped up by a soap ready, willing and able to keep her front and center, where she belongs.