For many months, Jon Lindstrom played Ryan Chamberlain as mostly non-responsive. Ryan never lost his threatening edge but now that he’s on the loose and wielding a gun, Lindstrom is getting to play his character as an imminent threat to many. The actor was a standout on a week in which several General Hospital performers stepped up their game.
Jon Lindstrom – Performer of the Week
Soap Hub noted a while back that people from Ryan’s past including Felicia (Kristina Wagner) and Mac (John J. York) weren’t part of the serial killer’s initial return a few years ago. Well, be careful what you wish for! Viewers had to hold their breaths again as Ryan conked Mac on the head after making his escape from Spring Ridge. “Now that felt good! Hey, Mac!” a gloating Ryan said to his unconscious victim.
Thankfully, Heather (Alley Mills), the perfect ‘Bonnie’ to Ryan’s ‘Clyde,’ convinced him that he didn’t have time to off Felicia’s husband. How could the GH writers justify Ryan not killing Mac? With a great line of dialogue. “It’s no fun if you can’t see the light leave their eyes anyway,” Ryan lamented as he decided to walk away from a knocked-out Mac.
Throughout the week, Lindstrom delivered numerous other zingers that would be flat-out funny if the situation were different. The one-armed sociopath noted to Heather that he needed ‘another hand’ to help him move the poor guard he killed during the escape that Ryan, Heather, and Esme (Avery Kristen Pohl) made from the minimum security prison.
Lindstrom embraced Ryan in a way that was clear that the character was making up for lost time. Tensions rose even more when Ryan showed up at Wyndemere to confront Ava (Maura West). He wasn’t counting on hitting the jackpot and finding Felicia, a past and current object of his obsession, there as well. The two women know what makes Ryan tick so they tried to keep him off guard by taunting him over how he was forced to play helpless while incarcerated.
Ryan, however, has always been able to give as good (or as bad) as he gets. He made poor Felicia think that he’d harmed Mac. Later, he took advantage of Mac being alive to taunt the lawman by saying that if anyone tried to stop him from making his getaway Felicia would die! Ryan also unnerved Ava by invoking the name of her late daughter — Ryan’s victim — Kiki (Hayley Erin). The man is evil!
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It’s ironic that Ryan ended up at Wyndemere, the castle that once employed a butler named Alfred, a nod to Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s (Batman) loyal aid. That’s because Jon Lindstrom brings to Ryan what actors do to the role of the Joker — a homicidal edge laced with lethal wit. Take away all the killings and Ryan’s tragic backstory, he could be a guy you’d like to stand next to at a party and dish some dirt.
However, there’s nothing funny about Ryan’s actions. We are on the edge of our seats to see what he’s doing to do next. Bravo to Jon Lindstrom for not only playing the psychotic Ryan but also for bringing to life his good guy twin, Kevin Collins. It’s a testament to the actor’s talent that he’s able to play two such diverse roles.
Honorable Mentions: Mother/daughter duo Dr. Portia Robinson-Ashford and Trina Robinson, played, respectively by Brook Kerr and Tabyana Ali, shined as the truth about Curtis (Donnell Turner) possibly being Trina’s dad came to light. Both actresses should keep these scenes in mind when submitting for the 2024 Daytime Emmys.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. For an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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