TVGuide.com: Viewers were supposed to believe Babe was really dead for about a week. How hard was it to keep quiet? Alexa Havins: This is a great twist — I had to be very secretive with it. (Superposter: Oh brother. It has been widespread across the internet for the last 3 weeks!) I was avoiding calls from family and friends! They were leaving me messages like, "Does this mean you're moving back to L.A.?" The show is hitting the viewers with so much tragedy with these deaths, one after another. It's shocking, especially since they're not just killing off day players. The viewers care about these girls. I'm glad to still be employed!
TVGuide.com: What a relief! Do you like how Babe's faux demise played out? Havins: I'm very rarely affected by the show like our viewers are, because I read the scripts ahead of time. But I was blown away by the performances of our cast, across the board. Bobbie Eakes, who plays Babe's mama, Krystal, was brilliant. I was sobbing at her on the screen, and I've never cried while watching the show before! [Chuckles] I was sniffling and leaving a long, rambling message on Bobbie's voice mail about it. As tragic as it was, this was great material for the cast.
TVGuide.com: Let's talk about Mrs. Babe Chandler's dysfunctional marriage. Not only has JR tried to kill her, but he verbally abuses her all the time. I can't believe she stayed with him! Havins: I know. I asked if we could do a PSA (public service announcement) for women in abusive relationships to get help, but that didn't happen. I was concerned about how viewers might be influenced by Babe saying, "Oh, it's OK, JR, you only tried to kill me because you were drinking." What if a woman decided to ignore the warning signs of abuse and stay in a bad relationship, and then a true tragedy happened?
TVGuide.com: It sends a bad message. For example, AMC made it clear that it wasn't OK for Jonathan to hit and manhandle his girlfriend, Maggie. Yet Babe and JR are a couple we should root for? I don't buy that. Havins: I appreciate that there are devoted Babe/JR fans who are truly invested. They've sent me balloons and cute things at the studio. I think Babe stays with JR to give her son a normal family life that she never had. But Babe is strong and she's feisty. I think she takes too much s---.
TVGuide.com: It's hard to blame Babe for cheating on JR with Josh. Havins: Babe's affair was wrong. But her marriage to JR is just a really volatile, unhealthy relationship at this point. Some extreme changes need to be made. It can't just be JR saying "I'm sorry" until the next thing happens. We've heard that before.
TVGuide.com: Can you tease what's ahead for Babe, JR and Josh? I vote for Babe pairing up with Josh, who saved her life, after all. Havins: Josh is definitely her white knight right now. But Babe's life was in shambles when she "died." Now that she's coming back from the grave, it's not all roses. There's repercussions for the terrible things JR said to her. There's hurt feelings. Babe has decisions to make. The choice is not just "Josh or JR?" It's "What's best for me and my son?" That's the next step, once Babe is healthy enough to go there.
alexa is right about the need for a PSA about spousal abuse. she's right about people looking at the babe/JR relationship & applying that to their own life. maybe they'll do that if/when the finally split up babe & JR on a more permanent basis.
kris
__________________
an ABC soap fan since i was a teen. favorte hobby is reading mysteries & legal or medical procedural mysteries
