OMG didn’t you know A.J. was evil? In case you missed the usual general references over the last five years you couldn’t possibly miss the sledgehammer technique used to such advantage this past week. From the vilification by the entire town, out of mouths of characters whose paths barely crossed A.J.’s, there was no doubt this was the devil incarnate himself spewing his malevolence and immorality on the poor, unsuspecting, upstanding citizens of Port Charles. OMG lock your doors, the streets aren’t safe. And who is that woman speaking Carly’s lines? I must have blinked and missed the creative plot device that lets an audience digest a recast of a major character embroiled in a major storyline. That was Tamara Braun going up those stairs wasn’t it? But is sure wasn’t Tamara Braun coming down them. Oh, wait a sec, that was the creative device wasn’t it, ha ha.  Talk about a shock to the system.

Yeah, I know, I’m a little late to the party. 

So…what to tackle first. The blatantly one-sided portrayal of A.J. the Devil or the new face suddenly inhabiting Carly. I think I understand a bit of what Jennifer Bransford must feel, I’ve only missed two weeks but it feels like I’ve jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Which, if nothing else, is certainly new fodder for the mill.

Yes, A.J.’s choices were reprehensible, but don’t lose sight of the fact that almost every soap character does inexcusable things at one time or another after which we blather on about “redemption”, or “justification” for hanging someone on a meat hook as acceptable behavior because the “loser” deserved the treatment. Is one reprehensible act committed by one character any worse than one committed by another?  It is if there’s a dramatic agenda the writers are trying to push – A.J. remained an irritant in Sonny’s side, yet he served his purpose dramatically by instigating an entire season’s worth of new story. That is something not even Maurice Benard can take credit for. Whether it was planned in the way it came off or not, Warlock walked off the winner here, no one else. And A.J. exited with more sympathy for the character than I imagine tptb had ever dreamed he would. In their short-sighted way of treating an audience’s intelligence as if it didn’t exist, the blatant, over the top, outbursts of A.J.’s horribleness for lack of a better word, from every single character on the show last week (except for Allen, who did manage to remember A.J. was his son) definitely made a point, though I’m not certain the point I got was the one they were trying to make. A.J. was never as black and white a character as we were supposed to accept now – he didn’t deserve to die for his actions, any more than any other character deserved to, and trying to paint him in one week as this deranged, psychotic, delusional person who would shoot his own father in order to justify his “murder” – that he deserved what he got and we should nod our heads in agreement - didn’t fly with me. Sorry, it came off as a tragic ending to a character whose usefulness obviously ended with writers who couldn’t figure out how to use A.J.’s potential as a core Quartermain. One who at the very least could have provided, among other things, conflict and a foil of sorts for Jason, giving him the type of depth the character of Jason is so seriously lacking. But that would mean taking the focus off Sonny. And that simply wouldn’t do.

{There is a theory out there in cyberspace that Michael is actually the one who smothered A.J. and that’s the reason for the heavy-handed treatment of A.J. by the entire cast – we’re being set up to accept the traumatized little boy really is Sonny’s son deep in his soul and has killed his “father” because of his confusion over that trauma. An easy way to put the murder to bed and not have to worry about it anymore. Who is going to blame or punish Michael? Do you buy it? I’m not sure I do. I think it’s more likely, given how soap operas work, that Durant turns out to be the killer, Bernsen is the only player not on contract and it’s always been intimated he was to remain on the show until May only. Whatever. All the fabricated dramatic tension as fingers are pointed at Jason, Monica, Sonny, Carly et al. means nothing because unless GH really has the guts to make the killer a key character there will be no surprises and no lasting consequences to any of it. I will of course change my mind if I see different but I suspect I won’t.}

Continuing to treat our intelligence as if it didn’t exist, albeit this time somewhat tongue in cheek - how can an audience possibly open their eyes on Monday to a brand new face and persona trying to inhabit a complexly familiar character and not blink a thousand times trying to shake the irritant out of their eyes?  Any actress would be at a huge disadvantage coming into an established role in such a manner, Jennifer Bransford no exception. And where was the consideration for Tamara Braun, an actress whose work as Carly defined and shaped the role for the better part of four years, and who, for me, embodied the emotional connection to the kidnapping storyline we’re all still in the middle of. Poof, gone in one day of screen time, wiped away as if she never existed. The writers and producers have certainly sent a message that anyone is expendable unless you’re Maurice Benard or Tony Geary, not that I begrudge either of them that status, they’ve earned it. But so had Tamara Braun. She had our respect, she deserved theirs (tptb that is), at least in some small measure, though I will say that I appreciate not having to sit through another explosion or CE (that’s “cataclysmic event” to the uninitiated) while Carly disappears only to return with her head swathed in bandages in some hospital somewhere, wondering when the unraveling of said bandages during the next sweeps period would reveal the NuCarly.

Guza can justify his choice for a “seamless” integration, citing the urgency of the storyline or the immediate importance of the character till the cows come home, it was lazy and easier than planning and crafting a longer introduction for NuCarly. If it’s a test to see if Bransford will sink or swim, it’s doubly unfair all around. I admit I smiled a very sardonic smile when Bransford came down those stairs literally in Braun’s shoes, such a purely Hollywood way of dealing with a problem - pretend it doesn’t exist, ignore reality and forge on. But it was a smile that lasted for five seconds. Beyond that, well, it’s tough to try to follow his logic and instantly accept a completely different personality trying to convince me she embodies the history and understands the motivations of the character faced with such complex emotional upheaval.

So, initial reaction – haven’t really a clue at this point. If I was looking for Bransford to make a quick mark, establish an immediate connection to the other actors with the type of chemistry the camera picks up in spite of what’s going on, it didn’t happen. She has no real depth behind the eyes, no expressive facial expressions or that intangible way of bringing out emotion that invests you right away. But that’s just my own selfish expectation, right or wrong I always look for that instant something an actor projects, a bond or spark if you will between actors that make a new addition to a cast interesting right off the bat. I tend to be as lazy as I’m accusing Guza of being, I don’t really relish having to do the work if I don’t have to. I’ve also never seen Jennifer Bransford before as many of you have, I don’t know what she can bring to Carly aside from what we’ve seen so far, or what her potential might be based on past work, I can’t project any of her known talent onto this role.

I’m bothered that often times it seems she’s forgotten her lines, her pauses are not organic but rather feel like she’s searching to remember though I’m sure that’s not the case, I either have to get used to her style or this is how whatever tentativeness she may feel is manifesting itself. To her credit, the camera certainly is not picking up any hesitancy of action on her part, to the contrary in fact, she’s as in your face as can be. I can’t get a sense of her personality, but in fairness its way too early to be making any kind of lasting judgments, we have to give the actress her due to make that mark I’ve been talking about. And with an open mind at that, just as Tamara Braun wasn’t Sarah Brown, Jennifer Bransford is neither. She needs a chance to inhabit the character on her own, a chance not really being afforded her due to the heavy duty storyline she’s been thrust into. Its hard enough integrating into the ensemble cast environment of a soap as a new character, feeling your way, building relationships, figuring out what gels and what doesn’t let alone being expected to take over an established role with the complexities and layers Carly requires. Bransford will have a lot of work ahead of her bringing those complexities and layers to the surface, I’m not sure I see any sensitivity or vulnerability beneath that tough exterior.

What I do see is a fearless actress whose screen presence is confident. What I find refreshing and interesting is that Bransford has obviously not read the memo yet, or has chosen to ignore it - this actress has just jumped right in, hasn’t let anyone overshadow her, hasn’t deferred to Benard/Sonny in any way so far as I can tell – hell she towers over him, she’s as tough as he is. I like that the actress comes off as completely and totally standing up to Sonny – pretty much his equal emotionally, and for whatever reason this little bit is working for me. How long it will last before she’s fated to the familiar doormat status is anyone’s guess, but right now no one can accuse this Carly of letting anyone walk all over her. Her aggressiveness is abrasive, which for now I think is exactly what’s called for. I wouldn’t want to mess with this Carly in a dark alley, that’s for sure. She looks like she could beat the crap out of anyone who crossed her, in spite of her thinness. This Carly has the same kind of street smarts in her toughness that Brown’s Carly had. Braun softened those edges, made her vulnerabilities more visible, which is what I always loved about her, but fans of the harder, rougher Carly will already recognize a lot of what they always liked in the character in Branford. It’s the emotional tenderness for me that’s lacking, the innate vulnerability that would hit me in my emotional gut as Carly wrestles with her pain and fear for Michael. Just not there, which is why until the last moments of Friday’s episode, I felt very little connection to Carly and Michael. When Dylan Cash’s face finally crumpled, remarkable little actor that he is, and he collapsed into Sonny crying for his mother I finally felt all the power and emotion I was supposed to. Through him, the magnitude of the painful consequences this storyline presents was made clear.

Jennifer Bransford can learn a lot from Cash. He clicked with Billy Warlock immediately, if he clicks in the same way with Bransford when given the chance he’ll elevate their relationship and ease the transition for the audience. And then she can go on and try to click on the romantic level that’s expected of her – with, sigh, Sonny, or Lorenzo or whoever else she might surprisingly click with.

But I do know one thing, she needs time. Time to develop onscreen chemistry with her co-stars, time to convince the audience that Carly number 3 can carry on the tradition, that’s she’s not just another semi-newbie brought on in a rush to save story and salary or to point up that other newbies are no longer newbies. The big impression didn’t happen – no matter. Give her the time and try to understand her choices as she attempts to make the role her own. Whether she can live up to Brown or Braun, who knows, but that isn’t really her job anyways. Her job is to present the best possible characterization she can, it’s up to us to follow her or not. That’s our choice.