It seems to me as if All My Children is taking the advice of ‘80’s pop diva, Cyndi Lauper and letting the “true colors” of its prodigal son, JR Chandler finally surface.

 

Adam Chandler Jr.- dashing, debonair, husband, father, the apple of the late Dixie’s eye, loving, caring and turning more and more like his father… and this soap fan is ABSOLUTELY LOVING IT!

The old song goes “ True colors shining through, I see your true colors and that’s why I love you, so don’t be afraid to let them show, your true colors,” and from what I have been seeing of JR lately that is exactly what is happening. 

Any savvy AMC fan remembers the joy that this baby boy brought former Pine Valley heroine Dixie Cooney and the plots that were created by Adam Chandler to keep his only male heir at arms length. In fact, many of us watched as this future CEO, grow up from a little toe head with a head full of curls, to a mixed up lonely teen, unsure of who he was or what he wanted out life, and one who turned to drugs to obtain the satisfaction that he needed.

As we continued to watch JR grow, he changed right before our very eyes, with numerous actors trying their hardest to play the role of Dixie’s baby boy, but alas, none of those went over well with fans and JR left town aboard a freight heading to the West Coast….

And as in normal soap fashion (when the right actor came along) the prodigal son would return home. What soap fan did not squeal with delight (or breathe a sigh of relief) when it was splashed across all the soap magazines that the role of JR Chandler would be played by none other than Emmy Winning Actor, Jacob Young.

As I sat there singing the praises of Brian Frons, Megan McTavish and Julie Caruthers for finally listening to the fans and bring this character back (and with someone who could act, was a sure plus), I found myself mesmerized and absolutely LOVING the character of JR.

Like his previous role of Lucky on fellow show General Hospital, Young has done an outstanding job of making the character of JR his own. Like JR’s Uncle Stuart said “Who couldn’t look into those eyes and see sweet Dixie, shining through?” As I tuned in each and every day, I had hoped that JR would carry on the sweet innocent quality that his mother had and so obviously passed on to him… but then I started thinking?

Just how long could it take for one person to lied to by his wife? Or when would JR have enough and finally give Adam the tongue-lashing he deserves? I like many other fans began to wonder if we would see a darker side of JR soon emerge on our screens… and in true soap fashion we did.

The old soap cliché is true… A good character is a boring character and to be quite honest, seeing the new darker JR has gotten me more excited than a kid in a candy shop!

I sit in sheer wonderment with my thoughts racing as to what move JR will make next and who will be his prey? What fans mouth did not drop as JR blackmailed former step mother Liza into helping acquire Chandler enterprises, by threatening to reveal to Tad how she tried to sabotage his wedding to Babe. 

Or perhaps, JR’s plan is to get rid of his wife by proving her an unfit mother. Where was Babe when JR took his darling daughter to the Emergency room… out having a good time, and that is just what JR wants to show the citizens of Pine Valley. It is obvious that JR has not driven the final nail into Babe’s coffin, but this drastic change in JR is enough to make this show worth watching again!

As much as Tad and Dixie fans had hoped to carry on the littlest glimmer of Dixie in JR, it appears as if he is showing his TRUE Chandler qualities each and every day. With the show looking to cast the role of the youngest Santos sister Rosa in the near future, could JR be getting a new love interest? Perhaps, he not only carries the “out for blood trait” of his father Adam, but maybe he carries “married for the umpteenth time trait as well.”  From where I sit I see a young Adam Chandler being developed on our screens.

This dark change can only grow deeper and even darker once JR learns the truth about Bess. Will he do the right thing and give “Bess” back to Bianca, while launching an all out search for his own child, or will the Chandler colors continue to show and JR will do everything in his power to keep “Bess” from her true mother. Hey, I am sure that his father Adam can give him a few pointers.

In whatever direction the McT and her writers decide to take JR, good or evil, this viewer is hooked. Let’s hope that the show plays its cards right and keeps Jacob Young around for a long time to come, because playing bad is ohhhhh sooooo good!!!!!!