Editor's Choice: Baby Blues

Writing a character's miscarriage can be a tricky feat for soap scribes. While an empirically devastating turn of events, the loss of an unborn child is a terribly common occurrence in daytime – and its rampant use as a plot point often undercuts the emotional impact it carries.  Because miscarriages are so frequently scripted to create conflict and generate story, these motives are sometimes broadcast all too transparently on our screens.

To be sure, Courtney's miscarriage created plenty of conflict (rocking her relationship with Jason to its core), and upcoming storylines are sure to be hatched from the fallout (e.g., Elizabeth's accident).  But the show went several steps further, using the miscarriage to explore the psychodynamics of a couple GH's audience has come to care about deeply.

The revelation that Courtney had been pregnant and lost the baby was clearly shocking to the usually stoic Jason. As Court came clean to her fiancé about everything, he listened intently – brows furrowed, eyes slightly tearing.  But his response, to Courtney's dismay, was completely expected: It was calm and collected.  The writers never changed his personality to convey his emotion. Instead of having him storm out in disgust (the typical soap response), Jason remained Jason… and brilliantly so, thanks to the subtle performance by Steve Burton. "You didn’t know you'd be kidnapped." Jason matter-of-factly said to Courtney. "You acted in the moment. Don't blame yourself."

But Courtney did.  The more Jason reached out to comfort her the guiltier she felt and the more pushed him away because he wasn't angry.  Alicia Leigh Willis, whose portrayal of strong, independent, kick-butt Courtney has made the character a heroine to many viewers, showed an entirely different, vulnerable side of Courtney that allowed us to really get to know this woman.  "No matter what you say, I know how bad you wanted to be a father," Courtney wept to Jason.  "And I took that chance away from you.  That baby that we lost is the only one that we're ever going to have together, and… and I didn’t tell you until it was too late, and I am so sorry."

            "It was an accident," he replied.

            "No, I changed everything for both of us, I mean, our future, our plans…" she cried back.

            While Courtney remained worried that she would lose Jason forever, he attempted to grieve over the loss of something he never knew he had.  And although they dealt with their pain differently, these reactions were true to life and beautifully interwoven to make for heartbreaking yet heartwarming story.  It became a take not based on lies, but rather truths – the truth that this couple loves each other more than anything. "I'm just trying to tell you that losing something matters," Jason said.  "But what we have left matters more."

            What Courtney and Jason have left is love, compassion and honestly between them.  But they also have a long battle ahead to get back to the joy they once felt.  With their union having been strengthened by this tragedy, Courtney and Jason can undoubtedly face and deal with anything together.

Soap Opera Digest, September 20, 2003