General Hospital fans fondly recall Olivia getting a bit bombed seven years ago and drunk dialing animal shelters in order to adopt a puppy. Recently, Olivia’s portrayer, Lisa LoCicero, got inebriated again as she dealt with a series of personal issues. For her entertaining and heartfelt performance, Soap Hub bestows Performer of the Week honors on LoCicero.
GH set the stage for LoCicero’s tour-de-force by first having Olivia share a drink with Carly (Laura Wright) at The Savoy, Curtis’ (Donnell Turner) new establishment. The two cousins caught up on each other’s lives like the confidantes they are. Olivia encountered Austin (Roger Howarth) about his talking to Ned (Wally Kurth) about Leo (Easton Rocket Sweda) possibly being on the spectrum.
However, she grew frustrated after finding out that Austin had nothing to gain financially from the unofficial consultation. By the time she returned to her table with Carly, Olivia was on her second drink and talking about getting a divorce lawyer.
Great actors like Lisa LoCicero know that the “secret” to playing drunk is for a character to try to not act drunk. Olivia’s next stop on her bar-hop was to check out the latest cordials behind the counter at the Metro Court bar. There, she encountered her pal Robert (Tristan Rogers). Both he and viewers could tell she was on her way to being legally lit. Olivia gave Robert a slobbering hug, informing him that she did not drive over from The Savoy to her current location. (Kudos to GH for having Olivia be responsible enough to not drink and drive.)
Olivia (Lisa LoCicero) unloaded on Robert that things were worse than ever between her and Ned (Wally Kurth). Forget about the Quartermaines and Ned’s romp with Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn), Olivia was upset that she and her husband aren’t seeing eye to eye on Leo. Robert tried to get Olivia to drink some coffee but she slid the cup back over to him, mumbling, “I don’t want it.” Then, she opened up to Robert but insisted that everything they talk about be in the “Cone of Silence,” a nod to a spy device used on the sitcom Get Smart. LoCicero used her hands to pantomime what a Cone of Silence would look like, adding to the comedic slant to the scene.
“There’s no way that my son has autism,” Olivia shared with Robert, surprising herself that she could say the word out loud. Being a good friend, Robert suggested that Olivia at least investigate the matter. LoCicero continued to slightly exaggerate her points, as someone under the influence might, by using her hands such as when she told Robert that she and Ned simply just don’t talk.
Olivia may have been buzzed but her recall was working just fine. She reminded Robert that Ethan Lovett (Nathan Parsons) questioned him about his and Olivia’s relationship. Robert pointed out that they were just friends. “What if we’re not?” Olivia rhetorically asked as she threw her arms around him. LoCicero played Olivia at this moment still under the effects of alcohol, finding the balance between where Olivia could still stand on her own two feet but not caring that she was searching for intimacy with another man.
Of course, Ned walked in on cue and proceeded to deck the former WSB superstar. Forget the coffee! Ned’s actions sobered his wife up quickly. The two exchanged harsh words — Ned blasted Olivia for kissing another man; she slammed him for committing violence. Olivia (Lisa LoCicero) added that she wasn’t even sure she could call Ned her husband given the state of her marriage.
Ned, who had bought Olivia a painting at Ava’s gallery, left it with his wife and told her it was a gift to show her how much he loved her. Ned took off. Olivia unveiled the painting. It had no meaning for Robert but it did to Olivia — and to the fans who remember her other memorable drunk scenes. The portrait was of a dog — like the one Olivia nearly saved by drunk-dialing all those years ago. Overwrought, Olivia began crying and exited with the painting.
The tears were a possible indication that Olivia has come to the realization that Ned does love her and therefore, he must have both her and Leo’s best interests at heart. GH handed Lisa LoCicero some nice material that allowed her to play a myriad of emotions, reminding viewers of Olivia’s love for dogs (and Ned’s for Olivia) in the process. At Soap Hub, we raise our glass to the actress and the choices she’s making as her storyline continues.
General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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