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Above: On the cover of the June 26, 2007 issue of Soap Opera Digest.
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Ring a Bell?
When amnesia strikes, Ryan thinks he's still in love with Zach's wife!
Soaps In Depth
Published Rebruary 11, 2008
Billy Joel once sang, “The good old days weren’t always good,” but try telling that to Ryan this week on ALL MY CHILDREN. Though the loving family man goes to sleep one night knowing that he’s Annie’s devoted husband and a father of two, he wakes up the next morning thanking that it’s four years ago – and that he’s happily engaged to Kendall! As his friends and family react to the crazy change, will Annie’s love be enough to draw Ryan back to the present? Or should Greenlee, Zach and Aidan assume crash positions and wait for the onslaught of Rendall, take two?
Richie’s Drama Interferes
The week begins with another family crisis when Annie learns she can’t
donate bone marrow to save her brother, Richie. The cunning leukemia
patient
doesn’t lose hope, though; he just secretly targets niece Emma as a
potential
donor. An already addled Annie fears she may have even bigger problems
on her hands, though, when Ryan momentarily seems to forget who his
daughter
is!
“He’s a little bit loopy,” says portrayer Cameron Mathison, who blames his character’s recent oddball behavior (remember him standing in the cold in his boxers?) on his recent brush with death. Getting grazed by the bullet Hannah meant for Kendall, h says, did something to the wiring in Mr. Lavery’s head. “He’ll have these momentary lapses. Like, you’ll say, ‘Let’s go get Emma.’ Who? ‘Emma.’ Oh, right!”
Meanwhile, Richie works at manipulating the little girl in question by telling her she has the power to save his life. But when Emma tells her mom and dad she wants to save her uncle – because he told her she could – Ryan and Annie have to seriously consider whether or not to allow their daughter to be tested as a potential marrow match.
Ryan Loses Four Years!
Throughout everything, Ryan’s actions grow increasingly erratic and
off beat. But anytime Annie begins to worry, he seems to snap out of it
and offer her assurances of his love. Mathison recalls that, right
before
the two of them go to bed one night, his character feels the need to
tell
her exactly how happy he is. “His last words to Annie before he falls
asleep
that night,” he says, “are, ‘I remember when we were living at Zach and
Kendall’s a couple of months ago. Zach and Kendall were out
someplace. You
were in the bedroom with Emma, and Spike was in his crib next to me,
and
I remember thinking to myself, everyone I live in this world
is right here
with me. I can close the doors and we’re all safe. Nothing can hurt any
one of us because we’re all here in the same place.”
Sweet sentiments, but like so many bedtime oaths, they don’t exactly hold up in the morning: When Annie wakes up, her husband gives her little more than a quizzical look. “He doesn’t know who they are or how he got there,” Mathison says, a mischievous smile breaking across his face. “He thinks he drank too much and picked up some chick who all of a sudden had her kid at home or something.”
While Annie tries to process what’s happening, thinks only get worse: Not only is Ryan completely ignorant of the fact that he’s married to her and has two children, he thinks it’s 2004 and he’s still engaged to Kendall! “He gets to the hospital and sees Kendall, and as soon as he sees her, he remembers,” Mathison says. “Ryan was still in love with Kendall, and so, he is. Doesn’t know who Zach is. Doesn’t know who his kids are. Doesn’t know who Annie is.”
Significant Others
When the shock wears off, should Annie and Zach be afraid? “I don’t
know if I buy it. I think he’s been in love with Kendall,” jokes
Thorsten
Kaye (Zach). “I think he’s getting bored with Annie, so I just think he
wants a little Kendall.”
Kaye makes light of the situation, but Rebecca Budig (Greenlee) says her character will be there to warn Zach about the potential for disaster – and maybe do a little more. “I know that she’s kind of worried for Zach because she’s like ‘You weren’t there. You didn’t live it. I did.’ Because they were a supercouple for a long time, the love and the bond that they shared was really strong. I’m worried for my friend,” she says, adding slyly, “But I’ve got a shoulder he can cry on…”
Maybe Ryan will regain his memory, and lie will reverts to normal. But if not, his amnesia could be the tipping point that finally ends the easy peace among the Slaters, the Laverys, Greenlee and Aidan! Most importantly, what will Kendall say? Stay tuned!
