As I rode the subway to work this morning, Mark Lawson‘s cover of the OLTL theme song came up on my iPod Shuffle. While I hummed along, I was suddenly struck by the thought that I adore Brody Lovett. He’s just a darned good character!
It must be my week to wax poetic about guys named “Lovett,” because I can’t shake the sense that this particular one needs to end up with both Jessica and Natalie. (Sister Wives: Soap Edition!) He certainly offers a more steadfast option than whitewashed manwhore Ford or perpetual mope John. (And I actually like John… sometimes.)
The weird thing is that Brody’s one of those characters that snuck up on me. I enjoyed him and Jessica falling in love. I thought he was one of the best parts of last year’s musical episodes. I loved him joining the Llanview PD. But the fact that he’s awesome didn’t really start sinking in until this year. Watching him emerge as the “root-for” character during this Tess/Ford arc has been sort of revelatory for me.
Brody’s been loyal to both Jessica and Natalie, passionately committed to their kids — Ryder, Liam and Bree — and I really want him to walk away the victor in the end. Because he’s worked so hard to be a good man in the face of insurmountable odds. Because he’s the kind of soap character that rarely exists anymore: a true blue hero. To be more specific, he’s the Bo-Brady-on-a-motorcycle, Bonnie Tyler power ballad, kind of hero.
But what really makes the character sing (no pun intended!) is that he’s not perfect. His history with PTSD is very much a part of his present, and his temper lives just below the surface of his skin. There was a while there, during his scenes of knocking around Ford, where I cheered him on but also feared he might go over the edge. And he has a short leash on that big ol’ heart of his, too. Since Jessica’s illness put distance between them, he opened up to Natalie… and now he loves two different women in two very different ways. Given that he’s not with Jessica at the moment it’s not quite cheating, but it’s not saintly either. And that’s compelling!
Despite Tess dismissing Brody as a boring meathead, his inherent “nice guy”-ness doesn’t mean he’s neutered or somehow flawless. He’s interesting, genuine, human. As a result, I really root for him. Brody’s one of those characters I hope to see leaving Llanview alive, whole, and happy — or settling in at Llanfair as a beloved Buchanan son-in-law. It’s safe to say I’d… Lovett.
badnecklace.com 
I’m really bummed that Liam has turned out to be John’s kid, I was really rooting for him to be Brody’s. I too really enjoy the character, and I thought his scenes with Natalie over the past few months as they struggled to hide the secret of their night of passion (and what a night it was), and after it all came out, how they bonded over their son. John really annoys me and I don’t understand why every single woman on this show has fallen for him.
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The thing that’s frustrating about John is that he does non of the work in a relationship. Women flock to him and then do all of the emotional heavy lifting. He just has to exist, knock back a beer or two and flash a smile once a month. I remember talking to Michael Easton back during the Natalie/Evangeline stuff and us both marveling at John’s pull.
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Given that it looks like OLTL will be bowing out soon, I hope some way or the other Brody gets his happy-ever-after. He has been one of the best new characters introduced in years and Mark Lawson has demonstrated time and time over how he’s able to hold his own and more with his costars. As someone who once was an ardent supporter of John and Natalie, the spark that I saw before (or maybe imagined) just isn’t there and I am also sick of Natalie being the one to run after him. You’re absolutely right in that John never seems to have to do the heavy lifting (and I can’t comment on recent months because I FF him a lot now). Also as a Natalie fan, I want her to have her happy ending, which is why I enjoyed her and Jared. For once, she had someone who was willing to fight for her. As a result, a part of me was hoping that Brody and Natalie can make a go of things, but since Liam was made to be John’s, I don’t know how that’ll work. But one way or the other, I hope Brody gets his happy ending.
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I once would’ve been happy to see John and Natalie reunite and raise Liam together, but while you’ve been FF-ing him, he’s basically kept being his morose, passive self and I honestly don’t think he’s earned the right to that happily-ever-after. It’s Brody who has been the husband figure to both twins, I wish they could just kick it Hindu mythology-style and have him settle down with both.
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As a fellow Desi, I can get behind that logic :)
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