In Print
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Above: On the cover of the June 26, 2007 issue of Soap Opera Digest.
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Wedding Bell Blues
One Life to Live: Bad Reception
Soap Opera Digest
Published September 16, 1997
For a bride and groom as danger-and-disaster prone as Marty and Patrick, September 11 brings a true plot twist: a wedding that goes off beautifully, without a hitch.
"I think it's so nice that Marty gets to marry the man of her dreams," enthuses her portrayer, Susan Haskell. "It's great that she gets to have this romantic day." Co-star Thorsten Kaye (Patrick) agrees. "These two characters never had five minutes of happiness," he notes. "There was always something. This wedding is Marty and Patrick's happy moment." Alas, that's all it is: a moment.
At the reception, following the ceremony, Mahoney's henchmen will be hiding in the bushes, preparing to assassinate the happy couple before they can talk to the Irish authorities about a fatal bombing years ago. When Mel stumbles on the thugs' plot, he races to warn everyone and all hell breaks loose. In the ensuing melee, the reporter takes a bullet meant for Patrick, Patrick, in turn, races to warn Todd, who's next on the hitmen's list.
"Patrick couldn't give a toss about Todd," says Kaye, explaining his character's decision to alert his foe to the terrorists' presence. "But he's thinking about the baby, Starr, and about everything Blair's been through during the last few months. Truthfully, he thinks Todd should get what he deserves. He just doesn't want any harm to come to Starr or Blair."
Meanwhile, Marty remains at the reception, where she and Larry will desperately try to stabilize Mel. "Marty wants to leave with Patrick, but Larry asks her to stay and help," explains Haskell. "Then, after everyone takes off for the hospital with Mel she goes to find Patrick at the penthouse."
What happens then will change the newlyweds' lives forever. The thugs arrive looking for Todd; gunfire breaks out, and before the smoke clears, Marty will realize that Patrick, not Todd, has been shot in the chest. It is, says Haskell, Marty's worst nightmare come to life. "As terrible as everything that's happened to Marty [over the years] was, she would go through it all again, rather than lose this man. If he dies, then....that's it. It's over for her."
At week's end, Marty and a weakening Patrick will be rushing to the hospital in an ambulance...but things don't look good for the Irishman. "It's gut-wrenching," Haskell promises "I would say these scenes are the hardest we've had to do in a long time."