BAD BOYS
Patch Johnson & Luke Spencer
MAKE GOOD
By Alison J Waldman
SOAP OPERA UPDATE
Premier Issue – Feb 8, 1988
~ 
Geary abdicated his throne as the “King of the Daytime Drama” when he left General Hospital a few years back. Geary’s prime time outings since his departure from GH have been disappointing; but then Luke Spencer was a hard act to follow. He broke the mold of the square jawed, square shouldered soap hero. And then Patch came along, a character who could easily have been Luke’s blood brother if one considers their backgrounds and love stories- not to mention the destinies of the actors themselves.
Like Tony Geary, Stephen Nichols got his shot at stardom in a borderline role which could have quickly run its course had it been cast with an actor lacking the talent and charisma to keep the viewers fascinated.
Stephen Nichols’ Patch Johnson joined the cast of Days soon after villain Victor Kiriakis loomed into the storyline. Patch was a seedy, low life, a hired gun, willing – and at times, anxious- to do whatever nastiness was required by his boss. He chased his best friend, Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) and his love, Hope (Kristian Alfonso) to Miami, where among other bits of evil, he threatened to pour acid on her pretty face. A few episodes later, Patch was called upon to blow up the Brady’s’ fishing boat, which he did with no regrets. And finally, he began his liaison with Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans) by trashing her apartment in Cleveland. Hardly the kinds of activities that would engender the adoration and sympathy of the viewing public, but despite his despicable nature, there was something which piqued the curiosity of the viewer.
Luke Spencer also started out as an out and out bad guy. Luke, for all his later heroics, was originally in the mob. He ran a disco controlled by the evil Mr. Smith. And who will ever forget that his love affair with Laura (Genie Francis) began when he raped her!
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
But in both these character portrayals, audiences saw beyond the two dimensional stereotypical bad guy. There was a vulnerability to Luke Spencer, a remorse, a feeling that he wanted – more than anything – to start his life over again, to mend his ways. And in Patch, that vulnerability is even more pronounced. Even very early on in the development of the character there was a bitterness and sorrow to Nichols’ Patch. His name for example, was Steven Earl Johnson, but to most people he was Patch- a cruel, demeaning nickname given him because he has only one eye.
Steve’s eye was put out in a knife fight with Bo when they were both in the Merchant Marines. They were best friends, both in love with a Swedish girl named Britta (Amy Stock), although she was involved only with Bo. When she cheated on him by sleeping with Steve, Bo caught them in bed together and a vicious fight ensued. Years later, after learning that Britta had deceived them both, Bo had to bear the guilt of knowing what he had done to his friend, and Steve would be scarred for life, not only physically, but also psychologically. How ironic it is that in his fantasies, Steve always sees himself without the patch. In his own imagination, he is the man he wants to be- clean, unscarred, handsome and upright.
LOVE UNLOCKS THE DOOR
The depths and complexities found in the Luke Spencer and Steve Johnson characters were revealed most dramatically in their love stories. More than any other factor, love is the key ingredient in these characters’ growth from simple hoods to intriguing heroes. Luke was transformed by his love for Laura Baldwin (she was married to Scotty [Kin Shriner] at the time, remember?), leading him to change his ways. Steve Johnson and Kayla Brady are a romantic duo as unlikely as Luke and Laura. Steve was an abandoned child, left in an orphanage after he tried to kill his father, an abusive parent and wife beater. Kayla Brady is the product of a loving and supportive family, practically the quintessential girl-next door. What could these two ever have in common?
As the Days writers have worked it, Kayla and Steve are a classic case of opposites attracting. She sees in him the good, the soft, tender side, the heart he hides from almost everyone else. The song, “If your heart comes out tonight,” has become their theme, and it epitomizes Kayla’s attraction to Steve. Kayla represents all that Steve has felt he’s lost in his life. Loving her, Steve can become whole again.
THE ACTOR’S CRAFT
As played by Stephen Nichols, like Tony Geary’s portrayal of Luke, all the depth, vulnerability and complexities of Steve Johnson have been revealed. The actor’s craft in the success of this role cannot be overlooked. Nichols uses the painful elements of Johnson’s childhood and adolescence as fuel for the character’s destructive, and very often, self-destructive, pre-Kayla history. Moments in the development of the character have called upon the best of Nichols’ skills, like a scene not too long ago when the injured Patch needed to be nursed by Kayla, requiring her to remove his eye patch to clean the wounds.
The fear, apprehensions and embarrassment about his physical appearance were vividly and dramatically realized by the look on Nichols’ face. His expression captured all the conflicting emotions churning beneath this man’s maimed exterior and touched the viewer in a way rarely achieved in soaps.
WHERE DOES HE GO FROM HERE?
Considering the success of Anthony Geary, and now Stephen Nichols, you might imagine other shows plotting similar characters. Could another soap opera write a storyline about a bad guy turned good, cast against type, and create similar success? It’s conceivable, of course, but the taste of the viewing public is not so easily programmed. How often have seemingly sure fire actors been put into shows, only to fizzle out in storylines that have failed to connect with the audience? Luke or Patch are happy accidents- the rare combination of actor and role that clicks with the viewer and makes the character arresting and irresistible.
The success of Stephen Nichols’ characterization of Steve Johnson is assured. He has won over viewers and critics alike. It is now up to the Days team to navigate the sometimes treacherous waters of daytime drama to maintain the integrity of the Steve Johnson character, as his romance with Kayla intensifies and his low class high jinks are replaced by his high risk heroics. Perhaps they need only remember what happened to General Hospital when Luke Spencer became of all things, the mayor of Port Charles!
no comments