Marcie WalshThe truth is finally out, as it always happens sooner or later on a soap opera: Todd Manning is little Tommy's biological father. And now that Marcie knows, she has only one thing on her mind - how to keep Tommy.
For actress Kathy Brier, this newest story line for her character has been a godsend. "It has been great," Kathy says. "I have an amazing story line with my husband and child. So many people are affected by this; it ties into just about everybody. It's really been exciting; it's been a gift.
Like many soap-opera characters, Marcie has been through a lot. But this latest crisis, dealing with the possible loss of her child, really has cut to the quick. As Kathy explains: "I don't know if she completely knows how she feels inside yet. Leading up to her and Michael losing Tommy, she also loses her job. Then, finding out that Michael has been lying to her on top of everything else ... her life crumbles in the space of a day. She's feeling so many things: betrayal, hurt, loss."
As far as her husband goes, will Marcie ever be able to forgive him for lying, for not telling her that he knew that Tommy is Todd's son? "Certainly at first she feels betrayal. This person is the one person who was not supposed to do this to her. But for now, she is too consumed with making sure that Tommy is safe. Her sole focus is to keep him safe. Her relationship with Michael needs to go by the wayside."
And now that Marcie is on the run with Tommy, she did the only thing she could think of to do for herself and for her child. "In Marcie's eyes, the justice system slashed her in the face. During the custody case, they slandered Todd as much as they could. To her, this man is not fit to be Tommy's father. But the justice system failed her. Michael failed her. She's been Tommy's mother for two years. She IS his mother. Plus she is also dealing with some abandonment issues. She does not want to abandon Tommy the way her mother abandoned her."
Fans who've been watching the show for a while remember when Marcie came on the scene back in 2002. "When Marcie was first on the show, she was mischievous. She changed sonogram results. She wasn't this goody-two-shoes. She does all the wrong things for all the right reasons - that's what makes her so lovable!"
new storyline
With this new storyline, Kathy can even empathise a bit with Todd. "In many ways, Marcie and Todd are similar. They are both loyal and will do anything to protect their family. It's how they choose to go about doing so that makes them different."
Now that Marcie is making her own choices for her own reasons - damn the consequences - Kathy couldn't be happier. "This whole storyline has been a gift. The script is so well-written, and I'm working with great actors. Some of the scenes have been tough and hard, but it's also been fun."
We all like to watch a good character being bad, and, as Kathy sums up: "Marcie's been so good for so long - how boring! Nobody's that good!"
- Cindy Elavsky
