Nash Brennan and Jessica Buchanan
Nash and Jessica | |
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Chloe Brennan |
Nash Brennan and Jessica Buchanan are fictional characters and a supercouple from the American daytime drama One Life to Live.[1] Nash was portrayed by Forbes March, and Jessica is portrayed by Bree Williamson.[1] They were originally paired together while Jessica's alternate personality, Tess, was in control. The Nash and Tess pairing also gained supercouple status.[2][3]
The couple drew a large fanbase. They were a prominent couple on the series from 2005 to 2008,[1] and were listed as one of fifteen top One Life to Live couples.[4]
Storyline
After months of struggling with
Nash buys a vineyard in
Nash's past comes back to haunt him in the form of the powerful Reston family. Prior to meeting Tess, Nash had been involved with wealthy and mentally unstable
Meanwhile, Viki and Clint uncover Tess's secret: Jessica developed DID because when she was five years old, she was molested by a kiddie porn ring operator, Norman Leeds, who recorded and distributed video tapes of the molestation. When Tess learns about Viki and Clint's discovery of one of the tapes, she is both devastated and humiliated. She and Nash track down Norman (now old, sickly and living in a nursing room) and contemplate killing him; ultimately, they decide that the risk of jail time isn't worth it. Tess and Nash then worry that the discovery of the tape means that Jessica will learn the truth, integration will happen, and Tess will cease to exist.
In late April, Tess starts to go into labor. She is taken to the hospital, and on May 1 she gives birth to a baby girl she names
Nash lets go of Tess, whom he knew is never coming back, only to fall for Jessica, who is now married to Antonio. A confused Jessica admits sharing his feelings, but refuses to leave her husband. Ultimately, she gives in, and tells Antonio that she was in love with Nash.
Jessica is soon diagnosed with Hepatitis C, presumably a result of Tess' wild lifestyle. It is also determined that as a result Jessica now has a related form of liver cancer and needs a transplant. As the search for a suitable donor begins, Jessica tells Antonio about her feelings for Nash; furious and devastated, he leaves town with Jamie. Antonio turns out to be a match, but not even his mother Carlotta knows where he is. Nash manages to track Antonio down and convince him to return just to save Jessica. An explosion during the surgery forces Nash to help save Antonio's life by closing his open incision. Jessica and Antonio divorce in July 2007, but she collapses in the courthouse as her body rejects the transplanted liver. David Vickers is determined to be a suitable liver donor; he makes a deal with Clint to donate in exchange for $10 million. Fearing that she won't make it, Nash arranges a wedding ceremony in Jessica's hospital room. The two are married before Jessica goes into surgery. Jessica pulls through the surgery and begins a recovery. Nash sets up a faux version of Niagara Falls in Jessica's hospital room to serve as a temporary honeymoon until she is well enough to go on a real one.
Recently released from prison, the mysterious Jared Banks arrives in Llanview in August 2007 with a particular interest in the Buchanan family. He manipulates Natalie into giving him a job at Buchanan Enterprises, swindles Nash at a game of poker and buys Antonio's shares of Nash's vineyard. It revealed that Jared shares a secret past with Tess, who had been responsible for sending him to prison and ruining his chances at a good business job. Jared wants revenge on Jessica, not believing that "Tess" had ever existed. His attraction to Natalie and understanding of Jessica's former mental illness soften him toward Jessica, but his ambition prompts him to step into the role of Asa Buchanan's long-lost son when the opportunity arises. Wanting to keep the identity of the real Buchanan heir — David Vickers — a secret to protect the family, Asa's butler Nigel goes along with Jared's plan.
Suspicious of Jared, Jessica pretends to be Tess to hopefully gain his confidence; he counters by notifying the doctors at St. Ann's, who take Jessica into custody under her own orders established should Tess ever return.
While at St. Ann's, Jessica comes face to face with Allison Perkins, who claims to know a huge secret about Jessica's family. Her interest piqued, Jessica eventually makes a deal with Allison; Jessica will help her escape from St. Ann's in exchange for what she knows. Jessica is released, but she and Natalie smuggle Allison out, planning to return her once they have heard her tale. Once free, Allison manages to elude them, but not before collecting a mysterious package from the Lord family mausoleum where Viki's father is buried. Allison later confronts Jessica with a gun but Jared steps in to save her; Allison lets herself fall from the Palace Hotel balcony, preferring to die with her secret rather than return to St. Ann's. She survives, but is left comatose and in critical condition.
Wanting to get out of business with Jared, Nash hastily agrees to take a deal with shady investors. They are a seemingly too good to be true deal as they give him money to fund projects as needed. However, Nash eventually learns that his deal was too good to be true when the investors declare that the vineyard is not a good investment and they want to tear it down to build a mall.
Jared's lie that he is a Buchanan is exposed by Dorian Lord at a shareholders’ meeting at Buchanan Enterprises. Dorian also exposes that Jared and Natalie have been sleeping together. She declares that all deals made under Jared are null and void. She declares that she owns Buchanan Enterprises. The deal that Jared had made with Nash's investors is voided, resulting in Nash losing the vineyard.
Nash confronts Jared and Natalie on the roof of Buchanan Enterprises. While chastising Natalie's behavior, Nash is pulled by Jared away from her and is thrown over a ledge. Nash crashes through a skylight and falls two stories below.
Nash is rushed to the hospital where every attempt is made to save him. But it is too late as the doctors declare that his injuries are too severe. Jessica's family says goodbye to Nash. Jessica brings Bree into the room to say goodbye to her father. She also tells Nash that she is pregnant with another child. After Bree leaves the room, Jessica and Nash share a tearful goodbye which includes one final kiss. Jessica tells Nash "You are my heart". Nash draws a heart on Jessica's hand with his finger. A few moments later, Nash flatlines with Jessica's head on his heart.
Recurring theme
"My Heart"
A recurring theme in their romance is the drawing of a heart. When Jessica is sick in the hospital, Nash breathes on the window of her hospital room and draws a heart.[3] "It’s funny because I got a lot of heat from the producers/directors for that," Forbes March said. "It was a spur of the moment decision on my part, but in the end, they kept it in."[3] While on his deathbed, he draws a heart on Jessica's hand, taking her back to that moment in the hospital. Jessica tells Nash that he is more than in her heart, he is her heart, and always will be. After Nash's death, Jessica is stalked by a person who leaves her hearts and she believes the stalker is either Nash or Nash's ghost, it was later revealed that the stalker was none other than Jessica's presumed dead father, Mitch Laurence.[3]
Reception and impact
MSN/TV Guide routinely referred to the couple as a supercouple. The couple generated a loyal fanbase and were quickly labeled a supercouple, frequently being listed as a top supercouple to watch.[1][5]
Nash's death had a significant impact on viewers.[6] It has been attributed as one of the most touching death scenes in soap opera history. Within the story, the character plunges through a skylight and is killed, the action and plot described as "moving",[6] while Williamson's performance as Jessica as Nash lay dying in the hospital was described as "amazing".[6] Jessica tries to process the difficult truth that her husband is going to die. She goes through denial, anger, and defiance in that moment; Jessica's sheer and total devastation is the most significant emotion conveyed in the scenes.[6] Williamson was praised for having taken "things to a superhuman level". When Jessica goes into the church and prays for Nash's recovery, this allowed viewers to see that she was holding on by a thread, "the hope of divine intervention the only thing tethering her to the ground".[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "The Suds Report: January 11 2008". MSN/TV Guide. Archived from the original on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- ^ "The Best of OLTL in 2005". Soap Opera Digest. 2006-03-21.
- ^ TV Guide Canada. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
- ^ SOAPnet.
- ^ "The Suds Report: April 16, 2007. TOP 5 SUPERCOUPLES TO WATCH: 1. Nash and Jessica, OLTL". MSN/TV Guide. 2007-04-16. Archived from the original on May 3, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
- ^ SOAPnet. Archived from the originalon 2008-06-14. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
- SOAPnet.