Soap Hub Performer Of The Week For DAYS: James Reynolds

The enigmatic “they” say that real talent is oftentimes underrated, underappreciated, and just plain overlooked, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t spotlight James Reynolds’s most recent boffo performance.

James Reynolds — Performer of the Week

Paulina’s (Jackée Harry) news that she’d suffered a medical malady — a panic attack to be precise and not the heart attack she initially feared — sent Reynolds and his alter-ego, Abe Carver, on an emotional roller-coaster.

There was an irritation that he’d been left out of the loop, concern, relief, and then indignation when he learned the cause for his partner’s aforementioned panic attack — assumed abuse from a perennial rival.

“That does it,” Abe declared, rising to his feet and adding, “It is time I handled Sloan Petersen myself!”

Off to Sloan’s (Jessica Serfaty) apartment, Abe flew — with Reynolds all the while perfectly capturing the fury building within his character — but the object of his ire had stepped out momentarily. In her place stood her lover, Eric Brady (Greg Vaughan).

“You had better hope she’s not delivering another threatening note to my wife!” he roared. When patronized, Abe granted Eric that he was indeed “upset.”

“That woman that you are sleeping with has been terrorizing my wife and my stepdaughter…Paulina went to the hospital today…turns out she was having a panic attack. Now, what do you say to that?”

What could Eric say, but that he was sorry? Really sorry. However, “Sloan said that she wasn’t anywhere near Paulina’s office today.”

“Oh, God. She’s such a woman of her word,” pointedly shot back Abe, a smile on his face that belied the exasperation he felt inside.

“Do you honestly believe her,” queried Abe. To that, Eric had no answer. Abe then wondered “Your mother and your father are two of my closest friends. I’ve known you since you were born. Are you, are you going to stay neutral when this woman is coming after my loved ones?”

Eric tried to argue that, while he does think of Abe as part of his family and a constant in his life, Chanel (Raven Bowens) and Paulina are nothing to him, but Abe strenuously disagreed. After all, Paulina is the little sister of his mother’s college roommate and good friend [not to mention the fact that Eric was an honored guest at Abe and Paulina’s wedding] and Chanel was his niece’s girlfriend for months.

More back and forth. More disagreement. Finally, Abe Carver threw a Hail Mary. “I know you’ve been through some horrible times. And something like that…that changes a man. But the Eric Brady that I watched grow up, he always a good judge of character, and he would never be taken in by a woman like Sloan Petersen.”

And though it doesn’t appear that Abe got completely through to Eric — not yet anyway — James Reynolds’s talent certainly shone through.

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