June 9, 2006

Alan Quartermaine Junior and Adam Chandler Junior.  AJ and JR.  These two have a great deal in common – eerily so.  Let’s take a look, shall we? 

Alan Quartermaine Junior, aka AJ, was born into an extremely dysfunctional rich family.  It was a very odd, blended family, which included a brother, Jason, who was much doted upon because of his sterling behavior and aspirations to become a doctor.  AJ, on the other hand, always managed to get himself in trouble, usually involving alcohol, and was responsible for crashing a car that brain-damaged his brother.  He often had to deal with his mother and father, Monica and Alan, conducting numerous affairs and breaking up and getting back together on a regular basis.  He often butted heads with his parents due to rage and resentment over his circumstances. 

Adam Chandler, Junior, aka JR, was born into an extremely dysfunctional rich family.  It was a very odd, blended family, which included a brother, Jamie, who was much doted upon because of his sterling behavior and aspirations to become a doctor.  JR, on the other hand, always managed to get himself in trouble, usually involving alcohol, and was responsible for crashing a car that almost killed him, his sister Hayley and her unborn baby.  He often had to deal with his mother and stepfather, Dixie and Tad, conducting numerous affairs and breaking up and getting back together on a regular basis.  He often butted heads with his parents due to rage and resentment over his circumstances. 

Both AJ and JR have had tragic relationships with blonde women.   

In JR’s case, it was a whirlwind romance and elopement with Babe Carey.  It has been implied more than once, and it is quite possibly true, that JR only married Babe so that he could gain leverage over his father, Adam.  JR fell in love with her anyway.  She had a baby, but the paternity was in question since she had slept his brother Jamie.  The baby was eventually found to be his.  Babe claimed that she only slept with Jamie once, and that there was nothing between them.  Unfortunately, JR could see that they were attracted to one another.  Jealous and insecure, he set up schemes to try and test her loyalty to him.  His machinations backfired and she went running to Jamie.   

Poor AJ.  In his case, it was two fatal blondes that got to him.  He had a huge crush on Carly Benson and slept with her one night when they were drunk.  She had a baby, but the paternity was in question since she had slept with two other men, one of them being his brother Jason.  The baby was eventually found to be his. 

AJ later had a whirlwind romance and elopement with Courtney Matthews.  It was implied more than once, and later found to be true, that AJ only married Courtney to gain leverage over her brother, Sonny.  AJ fell in love with her anyway.  When Courtney had several encounters with Jason, AJ became suspicious, but she claimed that there was nothing between them.  Unfortunately, AJ could see that they were attracted to one another.  Jealous and insecure, he set up schemes to try and test her loyalty to him.  His machinations backfired and she went running to Jason. 

Both AJ and JR have had to deal with their sons being taken away by their brother and the child’s mother, claiming that he was an unfit father.   

JR’s son was initially named Asa Buchanan by his adoptive parents, and when he was returned to Babe, she named him James after the man she loved.  The boy was eventually renamed Adam Chandler III when JR got him back.  JR’s son was kept from him by Babe because he was a dangerous drunk, a schemer, and lived in a household where children are seen as possessions.  Babe wished that Jamie had been the father, and initially set him up as the boy’s father figure.  Babe and Jamie went on the run with Baby James, while JR was at home raising Bess (who he thought was his at the time), having no idea that he had a son.  JR tried many schemes to discredit Babe in order to get custody of Bess.  Because JR was rich and powerful, he was eventually able to get custody of his son.    

AJ’s son was named Michael Corinthos III by Carly after the man she fell in love with and who eventually adopted the boy.  AJ’s son was kept from him by Carly because he was a dangerous drunk, a schemer, and lived in a household where children are seen as possessions.  Carly wished that Jason had been the father, and initially set him up as the boy’s father figure.  Michael stayed with Jason when he was a baby, while AJ had no idea he had a son.  AJ tried many schemes to discredit Carly in order to get custody of his son.  Unfortunately, Sonny Corinthos was more rich and powerful, and AJ never even got to have a relationship with his son, much less custody. 

Minutia:  You’ll notice that in both cases, their given names start with A and have four letters.  In both cases, their nicknames are shortened to two letters.  In both cases, they have brothers with names starting with J-A and contain five letters.  Carly Benson, the mother of AJ’s child, has the initials CB.  Babe Carey, the mother of JR’s child, has the initials BC.  Perhaps the strangest similarity of all is that AJ and JR have both at one time believed Skye Patterson to be their half-sister, only to find out later that she was not.

In both cases, I have found myself inexplicably drawn to these characters.  Despite the fact that I don’t usually go for men with boyish looks.  Despite the fact that they are both alcoholic screw ups that trotted out the poor little rich boy defense and did terrible things to the women they supposedly loved and probably didn’t deserve to have their children.  I still found myself liking them in an underdog sort of way and hoping they would finally have a happy ending.  In both cases, I had to write them off for good when they crossed the line into something so reprehensible, there was no redeeming them. 

JR had finally gotten his life together.  He had the woman he loved, he had his son, and he was doing well.  He trashed it all by listening to Janet’s lies and reacting badly to his mother’s return.  He went back to drinking and schemed to kill his wife, the mother of his child.  He premeditated her murder and attempted to carry it out.  His best friend, Kendall walked into his trap instead.  Afterward, he showed remorse and confessed to the police, but it was too little, too late.  He is now a true villain like his father, Adam.   

AJ had finally escaped the toxic circumstances and people that had contributed to his twisted worldview.  He had gotten revenge on his family by embezzling a large sum of money from them and flying off to paradise with a beautiful woman.  He decided to make one last ditch effort to get his son.  It was a worthy goal, but his methods were unacceptable.  He joined forces with Faith Roscoe to kidnap his son and sent Carly a gruesome picture of him to make her think he was dead.  Faith is very entertaining, but no one can deny that she is a homicidal maniac.  In the course of events, his son was terrorized by Faith and came close to losing his life.  When AJ finally had Michael, he manipulated the boy in order to try and make him shift loyalties from Sonny to his real father.  AJ just wanted his son back, but it was too little, too late.  When AJ died, he was a true villain. 

Thanks for reading. Cheers!

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(pics provided by Willowfriend)