Julian Jerome spent his last few weeks in Port Charles being read for filth by much of Port Charles, including ex-wife Alexis, sister Ava, and even enemy and mob boss Cyrus Renault. This was the build-up to a shocking exit in which Julian had to truly face his demons and departing star William deVry kept us riveted and glued to the screen, which is why he hands down earned this week’s Soap Hub nod for General Hospital Performer of the Week.
William deVry: Performer Of the Week
After being shot by one of Cyrus’s many goons, Julian once again disappeared as he did after Ava (Maura West) nearly killed him, but he leaped off the Wyndemere parapet before she got the chance. And once again, Julian was down but certainly not out. When he stumbled into a Seacaucus, NJ bus station, bleeding gunshot wound and all, we never imagined what was coming next. Julian was about to be read for filth just a little bit more, this time by dead people (and Alexis), but only in his mind.
As Duke Lavery (Ian Buchanan) and Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Megan Ward) appeared to Julian to confront him on all the pain he both advertently and inadvertently afflicted on them and others, deVry never wavered from who Julian is (or was) — a man who could never take responsibility for his own actions.
While we saw his pain (both physical and emotional), we also saw a man who was determined to survive despite his life coming apart at the seams. A life he tried so hard to live on the straight and narrow during his last few years — something he never seemed to manage because straight and narrow is just not Julian. (Yes, we cheered last year when he finally told Kim, “My name’s not Charlie.”)
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Through his excuses to Duke and Connie, deVry also showed us the guilt Julian harbored. Soon, we could even feel his guilt when Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) appeared, dagger in hand, and reminded him that he held a dagger to his wife’s throat four years ago — the same one used to kill her own mother. Yes, we later learned he did that to “save” her from looney sister, Olivia (Tonja Walker), but he still did it.
After imagining Alexis holding that dagger to his own throat, Julian was still just as determined to get away and somehow fix his life in Canada. But there was Sonny (Maurice Benard) once again. Without missing a beat, deVry showed us Julian’s survival instinct kicking into high gear as he did anything and everything not to fall at the hands of his longtime mortal enemy.
That survival instinct took him onto a rickety bridge where he faked death to throw Sonny off guard. Still, a struggle ensued and so did a second gunshot wound that this time looked to be fatal. At this point, it looked to be over but then came a shocker in true soap form. Sonny went to check Julian’s pulse a second time and before he got a chance, the bridge gave way, plunging both men into the Hudson.
This is when we knew it was over, as was William deVry’s version of Julian Jerome (we hope just for now), a character and actor we will truly miss. General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.
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