Hold on to your stethoscopes, Scrubs fans!
The honeymoon is officially over for General Hospital’s reigning super-couple Robin and Patrick.
Next week, Robin, who has been quietly battling post-partum depression, goes to the docks where she’s confronted by a 10-year-old vision of her daughter, Emma. The next time we see Robin, she’s floating in the water. Patrick arrives, but doesn’t see her. Is this the end of our beloved Scrubs?
In honour of General Hospital’s 46th anniversary on April 1, TVGuide.ca sat down with one of daytime TV’s most popular and realistic couples to discuss the possibility of Night Shift returning to SOAPnet this summer, working with soap legends Finola Hughes and Tristan Rogers, and which one of the stars may soon quit acting all together.
TVGuide.ca: Hey guys! The only storyline I can stomach on General Hospital these days is Robin’s post-partum depression. Kimberly, you don’t have any children in real life. Has it been hard to conjure up these dark emotions as an actress?
Kimberly McCullough: Well, it’s definitely the most challenging storyline I’ve ever worked on. Not because I don’t understand it, but because it’s so tragic. A lot of the [inner conflict] is in Robin’s head. Normally in soaps, we deal with [external] drama involving other characters, so it’s been different for me to play out. Any emotion I convey has to come from inside of me. Robin’s not reacting to outside forces, so it’s been intense, that’s for sure. |
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Jason Thompson: I’m happy with the post-partum story. I know a lot of fans want to see Robin and Patrick happy, but on a personal level, I love any opportunity to explore who these characters are through organic conflict. But because I care so much about Kimberly and Robin, it has been very difficult to see the character in so much pain. At the same time, it allows me to show how much Patrick loves his wife. What’s great about this conflict is that it’s not a plot-driven storyline. The beauty of the storyline is that it’s based in character.
TVG: Which is a miracle on this violent show!
JT: Unlike the mob storylines on our show, this storyline doesn’t spell everything out for the audience. It’s nice that the writers are confident in our abilities as actors to pull off this storyline. It’s been a very dark and emotional storyline for us to play out, and for the audience as well. But I think the pay-off will be worth it. Post-partum depression is a very real and topical issue women struggle with each day. Hopefully, we have helped eliminate the stigma attached to post-partum with our portrayals.
TVG: I hope you are both ear-marking some of your best work for Emmy contention next year. Kimberly, you have two Emmys already in the younger actress category. It’d be nice to have you take home the gold in the supporting or lead race one day.
KM: I haven’t been nominated since I’ve returned to General Hospital. I feel like I did my best work last year on Night Shift, not General Hospital. But as we know, Night Shift wasn’t eligible for Emmy consideration.
| JT: We were all proud of the work we accomplished on Night Shift. Tristan Rogers [ex-Robert] and Finola Hughes [ex-Anna] were phenomenal. They are so good together, and separately. I’ve never been nominated. I was pre-nominated for my first year on the show.
TVG: Do you miss Finola Hughes [ex-Anna]?
KM: Yes, but I see her all the time.
JT: We hope they both return to General Hospital. |
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TVG: Is she coming back to the show anytime soon?KM: I don’t think so.
TVG: Do you miss Sri Rao’s writing?
KM: I do. His writing was simply incredible. Anyone on Night Shift could have justifiably been nominated for an Emmy on that show because of the way Sri wrote our characters and show.
JT: We trusted him with our characters. He’s very talented.
TVG: Are you hoping ABC renews Night Shift for a third season?
KM: Yes! When I asked [ABC Daytime President] Brian Frons about bringing the show back, he’s been vague. I’m sure ABC would like to bring it back, but with the economy… What I liked about Night Shift was the fact that the storytelling was very balanced in terms of the wealth of storyline that was available for the entire cast. Yes, Robin and Patrick were front and centre, but they didn’t hog the entire story, either. Ironically, Night Shift was written more as a traditional soap opera despite it airing on nighttime. Conversely, on General Hospital, the story is written so the audience doesn’t have to tune in every day to follow the show. We end up doing the same thing every episode for a week. On Night Shift, we knew where we stood as characters, so it was possible to pepper in subtler colour in our portrayals.
JT: I miss Night Shift a lot. I hope they bring it back next season. We’ll have to wait and see. I doubt Brian will greenlight it, but you never know. The first and second seasons were so different. With Sri, it was more of a collaborative project.
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TVG: I loved the Scrubs wedding. It was one of the few times head writer Bob Guza got it right. I think Karen Harris wrote the episode, and from what I hear, she’s been penning your current post-partum storyline.
KM: I love Karen.
JT: We’ve been blessed.
TVG: After decades on the show, I realized that this was Robin’s first marriage!
KM: Well, she had two weddings! It was fun taping the wedding as a bride. Though I’m glad they wed after she had the baby.
JT: Kimberly looked so beautiful that day. |
TVG: Are you surprised that that the Scrubs pairing remains one of daytime TV’s most popular couples?KM: I am. It’s interesting because I think one of the reasons
GH hasn’t broken the characters up is because Robin can’t sleep around like the rest of the cast because of her HIV status. Also,
GH developed and grew Patrick’s character into the perfect love interest for Robin, so why ruin a good thing?
TVG: Are Robin and Patrick the end game? I’m hearing rumours that the show is toying with the idea of pairing Patrick and Elizabeth together?
JT: I don’t know. I would hope Robin and Patrick are the end game because of everything they’ve endured together as a couple. But you never know. Even if the show breaks them up, they’ll always be searching for a way back to each other. |
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TVG: Patrick used to be Port Charles’ most unapologetic playboy. The tables turned the other day when Robin shockingly kissed a stranger.JT: Yeah, I think it’s great. What’s great about Robin and Patrick is that they balance each other out.
TVG: Kimberly, what’s it like working with a Canadian? Can you share any dirt on Jason?
KM: I love Canadians! I have a lot of Canadian friends, and Jason is very sweet. I’m pals with Bree Williamson [Jessica, One Life To Live] who is from Toronto.
JT: [Joking] I am very difficult to work with! [Laughs]
TVG: Jason, are you still playing hockey? And if you are, are you a better actor or hockey player?
JT: A better actor! Yes, I’m still playing hockey. It’s one of my passions. I think I’m a great hockey player in L.A., but in Canada, I’m just OK — if that makes sense.
TVG: Kimberly, we were all a little bit surprised when you returned to GH a few years ago because you had relative success in other mediums. Are you planning on staying on GH for the foreseeable future?
KM: Yes, I think so. But I have to be honest with you: I don’t want to be an actor forever. I’m writing a few television projects in my spare time. That’s the direction I’m headed in. The reason I returned to the show is because I missed working and I wanted some security so I could focus on my writing. Auditioning takes up a lot of time. I might end up leaving the profession altogether so I can become a full-time writer. I’d like to write for television and film. I have a few projects I’m almost ready to talk about. So I am excited.
TVG: I have a feeling the Scrubs fans won’t be.
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Nelson Branco is a Toronto freelance entertainment journalist, who regularly contributes to Hello! Canada, The National Post, The Los Angeles Times' theenvelope.com, TV Guide USA, tvguide.com, Inside Entertainment, OUT, and fab magazine, along with spearheading the soap coverage for TVGuide.ca's popular daytime TV hub. After graduating from Ryerson University in 1997, he moved from Toronto to New York in 1998 to take on the roles as senior news editor at Soap Opera Update. Branco first freelanced for Soap Opera Weekly as an intern in 1994, and after leaving Soap Update to help create and launch Bauer Publishing's In Touch Weekly in 2003, Branco continued to freelance occasionally for its sister publication, Soaps In Depth. Most recently, he helped create and launch Canada's first celebrity magazine, Weekly Scoop in 2005 as its news and entertainment director. Branco is also a contributor to a new TV show titled Planet Soap to air in Canada and America.
