Cady McClain has poured her heart and soul into the past week's shows, as we watched Rosanna lose her baby, Cabot.  The little guy with the big ears and the hair that stood straight up was her joy, her heart, and her very soul.  From the moment that Craig first placed him in her arms at Metro that night, and she realized that she was a mom, Cady's performance has been understated, emotional, and shown a strength that stands out even on a show where the actors' strengths are widespread.  If she didn't make you cry with that heartrending performance in the police station when she said goodbye to her little son, then you just weren't watching the show.  Her pain seemed so realistic that I could have sworn she was actually revealing a truth about her private life, instead of acting in a scene in a soap opera.

It started almost a year ago, when Rosanna found out she could never have children.  For many women, this is a heart-breaking reality, and Rosanna suffered grief over the children that she would never bear, never hold, never love.  Then, with the birth of little Sage Snyder, her sister's child, Rosanna made peace with Carly and they became friends as well as sisters.  But seeing little Sage only amplified Ro's desire to have a child of her own.  She went to husband Craig with grand plans to adopt one.  But she didn't count on Craig's feelings.  Craig had lost his only son in a tragic car wreck some time earlier, and he felt he couldn't handle bonding with another child.  Did he tell Rosanna this?  No.  Instead he discreetly sabotaged every adoption interview that she scheduled, even framing himself on a gambling charge to ruin their chances for a baby. 

But Craig didn't reckon on Rosanna's overwhelming desire to be a mother.  She served notice that since he had destroyed their chances for adopting, she was leaving.  So Craig, now desperate over the thought of losing her (does Craig EVER learn??) disappeared into Canada, and returned with a baby boy, which he grandly presented to her during a party at Metro.  (I would like to point out to the writers at ATWT at this time that Ottawa is not a province, btw, it's the capital city of the country.  Let's not offend our neighbors to the north who include many ATWT fans.)  Anyway, it's amazing what one small child can do.  Rosanna fell completely and unequivocally in love with the little tyke, and even Craig was won over by his new son, whom he named Cabot, Rosanna's maiden name.  They all bonded, they were happy, it was sweet and touching, and you knew it would never last.

Cabot's adoption was illegal, and although Craig swore he didn't know, nobody believed him, and he couldn't even believe himself.  And when it all came out like so many dirty diapers, Cabot was back with his birth mother and Rosanna was left with empty arms and a broken heart.  She packed her things, cut Craig off at the knees, fired up her private jet, and fled the country.

To watch Cady McClain's face when she saw Cabot for the first time was to get an acting lesson.  To watch her when she had to give him up was a master lesson.  Cady is an understated but highly focused actor who uses her physical reactions to a scene as much as the words on the script.  She can convey more with a glance, a turn of her head, or a smile than many actors can with a dozen clumsy movements.  She is not afraid to lay open her emotions and pour everything she has into a scene, and her presence dominates.  To watch her through this story, as she proudly tended to her baby, defended Craig to all his detractors, and kept her husband on his toes, showcased the depth of her talent on screen.  Her banter with Craig, forging a bond with her long-hated sister Carly, being a strong stepmother to Craig's daughter Lucy; each scene made me appreciate her more and more.  I know the writers at ATWT get a lot of credit for writing such compelling scenes, but it is Cady who breathes life into them, and what a life she gives to Rosanna.

Cady's been acting since she was a child: if you look carefully, you can find her in the film "My Favorite Year," with Peter O'Toole.  Her latest acting job before moving to Oakdale was as Dixie on "All My Children."  She spent over 12 years with AMC, starting as a young adult, and maturing along with her character into an adult on the show.  She won an Emmy for best younger actress in 1991.  But the character of Dixie had experienced every story you could imagine, and Cady felt that it was time to break out and try a new character, on a new show.  She stated in a letter to her fans that although she had nothing negative to say about her time on AMC, after 9-11 she felt a need to make a change in her life.  It's interesting to note that most AMC fans that post on various message boards have stated that they don't want Dixie to return, which suits me fine.  I watched AMC for a while, before it became too much like watching a train wreck, and her character seemed to have run the gamut of soap illnesses, ailments, tragedies, and angst.  There comes a time when you have done everything you possibly can with your character, and it's time to move on.  Cady knew she'd come to that time in her life, and ATWT was there with an offer to become one of Oakdale's citizens.  In short, AMC's loss was definitely ATWT's gain. 

Here's a very simple plan for Cady to follow in order to win next year's best actress Emmy.  All she has to do is submit a reel of her performances from the week when she lost Cabot.  She created such  emotional upheaval that fans were stunned to see such a riveting performance.  A common comment on many message boards during the past few weeks was "I was sick of Dixie, but I cannot believe how much I am enjoying Rosanna."  A reel of her scenes, caring for Cabot, trying to run away with him, and finally returning to town and handing him over to the authorities, should be more than enough to guarantee that she would take home the trophy.  Many people will declare that one actress or another should win an Emmy, even if they haven't seen any of the competition.  But in this case, I find it nearly impossible to believe that anyone will best her in this category next year.  Like I said, if she doesn't win, the small amount of faith that I have left in the Academy will go out the window and into the mulch pie.

I'm in an Oakdale state of mind!
  CAROL


 

Photos courtesy of CBS Daytime