JR Chandler and Babe Carey

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Babe (Alexa Havins) and JR (Jacob Young) in 2003.

JR (Jacob Young) and Babe (Amanda Baker) in 2008.

JR Chandler and Babe Carey are fictional characters of the JR and Babe or Jabe couple from the American daytime drama All My Children. JR Chandler is portrayed by Jacob Young. Babe Carey was portrayed by actress Alexa Havins, and then by Amanda Baker. Written as volatile and yet loving, the up-and-down romance tells of a young star-crossed couple who meet on a captivating night on a ship's dock, and from there are faced with much interference, significantly but unintentionally caused by each other, on their road to true happiness.

The love story was originally scripted by former All My Children head writer Megan McTavish, and first played out on television screens in October 2003. The pairing's love-hate relationship soon gained a large and loyal following, despite either character going through periods where they were not individually thought of fondly by viewers. The couple's popularity extended beyond the soap opera medium in early 2006, when the two were prominently featured in celebrity magazine Celebrity Living recognizing the couple's impact. The couple's reign came to an end on October 23, 2008 when Babe struggled for her life after a series of tornadoes hit Pine Valley.

Background

Writing

In 1992, after ABC executives decided that the show needed a fresh perspective, and promoted Agnes Nixon's protégé, Megan McTavish, to the position of head writer, McTavish began adding new dimensions to the show. Some time at the start of her third stint as All My Children head writer, she created character Babe Carey. Actress Alexa Havins was cast in the role, and Babe first appeared in the fictional town of Pine Valley on October 13, 2003. She was introduced as a vixen latched onto the arm of wealthy heir to the Chandler fortune JR Chandler, having had a one-night stand with JR's stepbrother, Jamie Martin, her first night there.

When Megan McTavish and Brian Frons, president of ABC Daytime, collaborated on the storyline, their inspiration for the pairing was a story from two decades earlier, the Adam Chandler/Dixie Cooney/Tad Martin love triangle of the late 1980s, where Adam was set up as the roadblock antagonizing Tad and Dixie's union. McTavish and Frons originally saw Babe and Jamie as the true love couple with JR as the antagonist, but this was later changed once Babe and Jamie did not resonate as strongly with the audience as a romantic pairing.

Jamie was around at one of the lowest points of my life, and I thought that he was the one. But I was wrong. As great as Jamie was, he could never take JR’s place in my heart, because JR never left.

— Babe Carey declares the romantic love of her life, episode 5/24/06

JR's portrayer, actor Jacob Young, wanted to focus more on widening his acting range, just as the writers began turning JR in a different direction. They deepened the story by having JR act increasingly more like his father, when he was originally characterized by having several aspects of his mother's personality.

JR and Babe's relationship was detailed to exemplify the notion that love endures all; this aspect of the couple was evident through their dysfunction as well. SOAPnet.com described their romance as the daytime version of Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson, minus the sex tape and tattoos, but with the addition of felonies. The characters broke nearly every vow, and committed multiple crimes during three of their marriages, while their connection remained strong. SOAPnet referred to this as "very romantic, but also slightly insane". JR and Babe would divorce and fight, but always end back up together.

In 2006, only a few months after the couple's second wedding, the writers complicated JR and Babe's relationship by having JR try to kill Babe due to a mental breakdown and the belief that he would be saving their son. Not wanting Babe to die and cause their son the same pain that he went through by losing mother Dixie, JR reasoned that if their son were to lose Babe at an earlier age, as a young child as opposed to as a teenager or adult, it would hurt less due to the child's memories being significantly faded or seemingly not there. In addition, JR was written to fear Babe taking their son and running away with him, leaving JR without a wife and a child. JR's murder attempt on Babe was a controversial story arc by the writers (see below, Attempted murder debate and NIDA). Further agitating the audience was Babe's willingess to stand by JR after the murder attempt, later welcome him back into her bed, as well as stand up for him at his attempted murder trial. The fact that JR had harmed best friend Kendall Hart Slater instead, who had become comatose, as a result of his trap to kill Babe, and was not going to go to prison for it, intensified the audience's anger. The writers, however, saw this as an opportunity to further the theme of JR and Babe being true loves. To assist this theme, ABC ran promotional commercials to a slow version of the song "Listen to Your Heart" of Babe voicing her pain that JR tried to kill her and the couple's enduring love through it all.

Another significant problem in JR and Babe's romance were their trust issues. One issue revolved around JR not knowing if he could trust Babe to be faithful to him. After cheating on JR with his brother Jamie due what Babe stated was a result of being nervous about meeting JR's family for the first time, JR later developed the tendency to occasionally refer to Babe as a slut or issue one-liner about her inability to be faithful to a romantic partner. Months after JR's murder attempt on Babe, the writers sought to prominently resurrect the unfaithfulness theme. Babe voiced that JR did not communicate with her as much as he used to. Consistently feeling this way, she was drawn to relative new character and "white knight" Josh Madden, whom she eventually cheated on JR with, emotionally and sexually. "JR doesn't let Babe in," relayed Havins of her character's emotional affair with Josh. "He has that wall up, and it's not necessarily his fault; it's his past that has built the wall. I think maybe Babe had unrealistic expectations hoping, 'Oh, with time he'll let me in.' Well, it's their second marriage and they have a child together and it still has not changed. That wall is not budging." Havins continued, "Babe can only take so much. Plus, her husband tried to kill her. I honestly think, in a way, this is a hint of a delayed reaction, emotionally, to that." In regards to her character, Havins explained that JR's murder attempt on Babe seemingly came out of nowhere. "It happened so fast," she said, "and the resolve was in the blink of an eye. I would walk away for a lot less! I think she was so wanting to get that family unit back on track that she didn't allow herself the proper time to heal. Then, on top of it, here's Josh. Everything she wants to feel with her husband she's feeling with Josh, and that's what's missing, because JR doesn't talk."

Josh was written as the complete opposite of JR, and therefore representing everything that JR is not. Havins clarified: "At first, it's a wake-up call for her current relationship. It's like, 'Wow, this is what I could have and I don't.' And then she genuinely cares for Josh." Babe and Josh's friendship and emotional connection grew each day. "...it was pretty much inevitable," said Havins of the new romance. "Yes, it's a lack of judgment, but passion heats up, and it is what it is."

The writers gave the storyline a twist when they had JR open to Babe about his feelings moments after Babe had engaged in sexual intercourse with Josh; this unknown to JR. Babe immediately felt guilty about the tryst. Havins felt that Babe would be "a cold, heartless bitch" if she did not. "When she comes home," said Havins, "JR finally opens up to her. If he was the same heartless guy, she would walk away and not look back, because she made the decision before she slept with [Josh] that it was over with JR. In her mind, it was, 'It's done. He's never going to give me what I want. That chapter has been closed and I'm moving on.' That's how I played it." In addressing the twist, Havins stated, "But the whole kink in the plan is, JR opens up to her out of nowhere... She's like, 'How can I walk away when he's doing what I've always wanted him to do?’"

JR was eventually informed of Babe's one-night stand with Josh by her father (David Hayward). Not believing it, even when Josh confirmed the encounter, viewers saw JR try to move on with his life and be happy with Babe. Once his suspicion got the better of him, however, he confronted Babe about the matter. Babe told the truth, and in a dramatic fashion, JR later threw himself out a two-story window while drunk, due to the pain. While recovering, he insisted that he no longer loved Babe. To add conflict, the writers detailed Babe as thoroughly determined to win JR back; she undermined his wishes not to live with her. "Babe is at the Chandler mansion. JR is home from the hospital and Babe isn't letting up," said Havins. "She's very dedicated to getting through to him. She's not saying, 'Let's get back together and forget anything ever happened.' It's more like, 'Let's try to move forward.' They aren't having an "I love you" moment or anything like that, but she breaks the ice a little bit." In addition, Babe's refusal to let JR go was happening during a serial killer article arc, where Babe's life was in danger and one of her good friends (Erin Lavery) had just died. In a moment where Babe confides to JR about this, viewers again witnessed the couple's star-crossed theme, which had become a significant aspect of the love story. "He's sleeping and she is crying at his bedside and says, 'I need you so much.' Not only is she going through this, but she doesn't have her rock and best friend to lean on," detailed Havins. It's a lonely place to be. He opens his eyes and almost makes the move to connect — but then he doesn't."

In early 2007, viewers watched as JR's mother, who had recently been discovered alive, was murdered by the serial killer in pursuit of Babe. Though Babe was the serial killer's actual target, Dixie died in her place. JR originally took comfort in still having Babe at his side, and vowed not to blame her for Dixie's death. But this later changed as the series showcased JR witness a kiss between Babe and Josh. Babe explained the kiss as a goodbye gesture, but JR was adamant on making her suffer. When Babe was later attacked by the serial killer, however, she was presumed and made to look as though she were dead. The writers scripted JR as having a difficult time dealing with Babe's perceived death, but eventually reunited the two. Their reunion this time was not romantic, and their relationship appeared to have no chance of being romantic again.

In late 2007, after four years on the series, Havins decided to leave the role of Babe to pursue other acting opportunities; the decision was confirmed on September 4, 2007 by magazine Soap Opera Digest. Actress Amanda Baker was selected to step into the role. With Baker as Babe, the writers decided to continue the JR and Babe love story but as more mature this time. In late 2008, after a year as Babe, Baker explained how Babe had grown since her portrayal of the character: "I think that she has become a lot more responsible," stated Baker. "She's definitely made some changes within herself, become more mature. At one point in time, especially with JR, a lot of her choices were careless and she thought too much with her heart."

Charles Pratt Jr., new head writer of the series, ultimately decided to kill Babe off, permanently. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest before her final episodes aired, Baker stated, "Going out with a bang is definitely better than going out with a whimper, and I'm going out with a bang!" Babe was killed off on October 23, 2008. Right before her death, the series showcased JR and Babe declare each other true loves once more.

Storyline

Following a complicated year together for characters JR Chandler and Babe Carey, an unusual storyline is launched in 2004, which involves characters from two different shows, All My Children and One Life to Live, in a "baby switch" storyline.

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JR and Babe (Havins) in a shack making love during their back-together status.

One of the babies involved is the son of JR and Babe — Adam Chandler III. Adam, usually referred to as "Little Adam" or "Little A", is confirmed as the biological son of JR, and JR and Babe divorce as a result of Babe's betrayal. In 2005, Babe then schemes to steal their child away from JR, but she and JR grow close again when Babe takes the blame for JR's drunken hit-and-run of Amanda Dillon.

Soon after the couple reunites in early 2006, Babe and Little Adam are kidnapped by Janet Dillon (mother of Amanda), who makes it appear as if Babe has run off with her son. JR, betrayed again, begins drinking and becomes violent, even resorting to holding Krystal, Babe's mother, at gunpoint in order to find Babe. Babe is shown fantasizing that JR will rescue her. Her innocence is proven, though, when she is finally rescued from Janet. She then forgives JR for his doubts toward her.

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JR holds Krystal hostage, gun in hand.

The two remarry. They enjoy a blissful getaway to the south of France for their honeymoon. JR wishes upon a shooting star that their romantic love for each other will never die. Babe wishes the same. But their happiness after France is short-lived. When JR discovers his long estranged mother, Dixie Cooney, is still very much alive and has purposely stayed "dead", JR shuts himself off from everyone, and begins drinking again. His suspicions of Babe lead him to plot to kill her, in what he believes is the only way to save his son from her havoc, not wanting her to do to Little Adam what was done to him by Dixie. However, his longtime best friend, Kendall Hart, is caught in his trap instead and falls into a coma while pregnant. Babe, while eavesdropping on a one-sided conversation JR is having with a comatose Kendall, soon discovers that JR has tried to murder her. She then confronts him about it.

JR is arrested and put in jail. But his uncle Stuart Chandler helps them reconcile. JR decides to take responsibility for his crime, but ultimately Babe's testimony sets JR free. She lies in court to keep him from jail, and the two set out to start fresh.

Babe grows close to a man named Josh Madden. Some time after she has sex with Josh, Josh tells JR, and when Babe admits the truth, JR again goes on a drunken rampage. He angrily goes in search of Josh, but after being cornered by Bianca Montgomery and Erica Kane, he jumps through a window and slams into the patio below, nearly killing himself.

Josh finds JR on the ground bleeding to death, and though initially torn about whether to save his enemy or having Babe to himself, he opts to save JR's life. A recovering JR expresses that he hates Babe, but Tad's words help him to again rekindle his love for Babe. Things between JR and Babe slowly improve, until Babe's bodyguard tells JR that he spotted Babe and Josh kissing on New Year's Eve. JR then calls his lawyer to find out how to get full custody of Little Adam.

With the start of 2007, a serial killer is on the loose in Pine Valley, killing the women of Fusion Cosmetics. Once Babe passes on eating a stack of pancakes secretly meant for her by the Satin Slayer, and Dixie eats them instead, Tad and JR rush to Dixie's bedside at P.V. Hospital where she dies. JR says an emotional goodbye to his mother, returns to her a necklace in which she adored, and cries in his wife's arms.

JR is beyond crushed, but rather than drinking his sorrows away, he talks about his feelings in great detail to Babe, something which Babe has always wanted from him. Babe blames herself for Dixie's death. JR assures her that he would never wish her dead in his mother's place, but when he catches Babe and Josh kissing in a shed, he forces her to choose between her mother's secret of being pregnant with Tad's baby or custody of Little Adam. Babe pleads with JR that the kiss he witnessed was just a goodbye kiss, and that she is still very much in love with him, but JR does not believe her. Babe is devastated when JR verbally lashes out that she should have died instead of Dixie.

My mother died in your place! She's dead because of you... All because you couldn't eat your favorite pancake breakfast. Your stupid favorite breakfast. No, 'ruin lives'? You should be in the ground, not her! And I wish to hell you were.

His words stick painfully on Babe's mind. In the parking garage of Chandler Enterprises, Babe's bodyguard is killed and Babe is attacked by the Satin Slayer. JR does not believe that Babe has been attacked at first, thinking that it is just a ploy. When Tad, however, relays to him that it is the truth, he quickly rushes to P.V. Hospital, just as Babe, at that very moment, flatlines, experiencing her life flash before her eyes; the images are of her mother, her son, and JR, noticeably ending on a final flash where Babe is in France with JR looking over the balcony in what she describes as the happiest day of her life. JR makes it to the hospital a little after Krystal and Adam do, but soon after that, Babe is declared dead in the operating room. She "dies" loving JR.

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JR heartbroken, as he believes Babe to be dead.

It is later revealed that although Babe was attacked by the Satin Slayer, she did not die. Josh has saved her, with the help of Zach Slater, Kendall, Jackson Montgomery, Joe Martin (grandfather of Josh) and Jeff Martin (father of Josh). It was Zach's idea to fake Babe's death, and Jeff and Joe who saved her life by implanting a pacemaker within her heart to regulate it. Josh gets most of the credit due to his constant vigil at her bedside. To fake Babe's death, they slowed down her heart-rate, causing her to go into a coma and then they moved her to Zach's casino. Josh pretends to skip town out of his "heart-breaking loss" of Babe. JR mourns, and the serial killer is soon discovered to be Alexander Cambias, Sr., Zach's biological father. Babe stays at Zach's casino where, through Josh's lies, she is led to believe that she is in a real hospital and that JR does not care about her.

JR is eventually reunited with Babe and apologizes to her for how he treated her before her "death", but Babe expresses that although she will always be in love with JR, being separated as lovers is the only way to ensure no more severe pain between them. She also reasons that it will give their son a better shot at a stable life not brought up in a war-zone between two bickering parents. Joint custody of Little Adam is what both agree to.

They lead separate lives for a while. However, on November 2, 2007, as they later bond over old times while talking at the bar The Comeback, their connection draws them together once more. Babe sees a more mature side to JR, and after she offers him a ride home, the two cannot stop the pull that is apparent between them. With the sexual tension intensifying, and JR saying that he misses kissing her, the two make love for the first time since their divorce. Despite this reunion of sorts, Babe tells JR that it was just a one-time deal and says that she is not in love with him anymore. JR is left devastated, and even after Babe apologizes for hurting him in this way, he sulks in despair and begins drinking again.

He goes through a brief time of having lost himself and legal trouble. Months later, he is back on track with his life and has reconciled with Babe, though the two still do not continue their romance. On January 10, 2008, they go out for a snowday with Little Adam and have fun building a snowman, throwing snowballs and enjoying each other's company. The two express that they like being a family, just them and Little Adam. When JR talks of being a better man, one that Babe can possibly like again, the two nearly kiss. Babe stops the intimate encounter before it can happen and reminds JR that when they become romantic with each other, it never lasts and ends in destruction. JR tells Babe that he loves her and asks her to give them another chance, but as friends first and see where it leads. Babe, hesitant at first, accepts his request.

When it is discovered that Richie Novak, recent but former love interest of Babe, needs a bone marrow transplant, she goes on a mission to save his life. She secretly discovers that JR is the perfect bone marrow match for him. Aware that the two are enemies, she makes a deal with JR on February 19, 2008 after informing him that he is a bone marrow match for Richie. The deal comes in the form of strip poker. If Babe wins, JR will save Richie's life. If JR wins, Babe will give JR anything he wants in concerns to her. The two play the game at Babe's place, where Babe loses. Babe naked, and JR half naked. Babe grabs a robe just as JR surprises her by revealing that he already knew of his bone marrow status before she told him, and that he already planned to donate to Richie. He says he cannot let a man die without reason. Babe is touched by JR's words, and the two flirt. They soon embrace and make love, unaware that Richie has also just discovered that JR is a bone marrow match and has sent thugs to capture JR in order to take JR's bone marrow any way viable.

He is diagnosed with Hepatitis A not long after Richie steals his bone marrow. Babe soon realizes the truth that Richie set up JR, and JR later saves Babe from being raped by two guys when she goes undercover as a prostitute to clear JR's name and find out what crimes Richie did. Richie schemes with his sister, Annie Lavery, to kill Greenlee Smythe (a favor for Annie), but due to his own selfish needs he instead kidnaps Babe and tells her that he is in love with her. Babe is disgusted by his actions. She is later rescued by Kendall and Greenlee; they knock Richie out and tie him up. A little while afterwards, Richie is freed by Annie while Kendall and Greenlee are distracted, but Annie later kills him out of frustration. His death sparks a murder mystery.

JR and Babe become closer and reunite romantically. JR teams up with his father, Adam, just like old times. Their goal is to take down Fusion Cosmetics. JR tries to enlist Babe into their scheme. What JR does not know, though, is that Adam is secretly planning to ruin him in the process. JR and Babe bond, as Adam plans the ultimate takeover. Fusion Cosmetics is at a height of excellence and things are working wonderfully. Babe and JR decide to use "Bella" (a new perfume designed by Babe) to launch her career. They begin to plan their next wedding and decide to have a second child. However, Adam has a plan of his own with the assistance of Peter Cortlandt who taints the Bella perfume at the launch party. Colby gets sick, but no one really notices it is from the perfume. Greenlee later gets sick but calls it the flu. When a wedding party arrives at PV Hospital, Angie Hubbard says that it is a toxin in Bella that is causing the sickness. The FDA then shuts Fusion temporarily down. While Adam is encouraging lawsuits against Fusion, Babe resigns and tells the company to blame the Bella scandal on her. She also admits that she and JR were planning to take over. She has an ulterior motive, as her and JR are planning to move to San Diego anyway. However, they have to come back when Adam has the subpeonaed to the Bella trial. JR and Babe do not make it to the trial, as they are caught up in a series of tornadoes that strike Pine Valley. Babe sacrifices herself to keep Little Adam from dying, making her internal and external bleeding worse. While in the hospital, she asks JR to marry her. They cannot find a minister as Babe is running out of time before she loses her life, but they exchange vows, regardless, alone in the hospital's chapel. They kiss, declare that they made each other better people and that they love each other from the deepest part of their souls; that their love will never stop, no matter what. After a light hug, Babe dies in JR's arms.

Recurring themes

Four themes were included often within the JR and Babe romance: pier in San Diego, star-crossed lovers, Tad and Dixie comparison, and inner demons of JR Chandler.

Pier in San Diego

"Pier in San Diego" was the more prominent of the themes incorporated into JR and Babe's love story. "Pier in San Diego" became symbolic for JR and Babe's first meeting to demonstrate their experience of love at first sight upon first seeing each other.

On December 23, 2003, the writers had Babe refer to meeting JR on a foggy dock as the answer to their prayers. In the February 16, 2006 episode, JR and Babe described their pier-in-San-Diego meeting as being lost until they saw each other.

Star-crossed lovers

The phrase star-crossed lovers was first recorded by William Shakespeare in his play Romeo and Juliet; JR and Babe's romance significantly reflected this theme. The beginning of the couple's star-crossed predicament began with the show's story arc of JR's father trying to separate the two at first knowledge of their union.

Happiness for the pairing was usually a sign that tragedy would soon follow. During JR and Babe's honeymoon in France, the series plays on the star-crossed theme when JR sketches a picture of Babe. Babe states, "This is so Leo DiCaprio, but you are way hotter." The statement is a reference to the 1997 James Cameron film Titanic. The two star-crossed lovers in the film, Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, were separated by tragedy, and tragedy is foreshadowed when JR's sketch of Babe blows over in the wind, slow motion, after he has assured her that they have nothing to worry about. Trust was often a missing element in reassuring each other of security. During this same episode, JR's family predicts that he will fall into a place so deep and dark after Dixie reveals herself to have purposely stayed "dead", that "even Babe won't be able to reach him".

Tad and Dixie comparison

In line with JR and Babe's love story is the notion that their love is undying, all furthered in reference to supercouple Tad and Dixie's love. At one of JR and Babe's reconciliation points, JR gives Babe Dixie's necklace. He tells her that Tad gave the necklace to his mother, and she gave it to him the last day that he saw her (her first "death"). JR says that she told him it was filled with more love than he could ever imagine. And that is what he wants for he and Babe, for their family — more love than they can ever imagine.

When JR is recovering from his jump out of a window, enraged at Babe for her one-night stand with Josh, Tad tells JR that JR loves Babe the same way that he himself loves Dixie.

Inner demons of JR Chandler

JR's inner demons have been alluded to in the fashion of either the combination of his troubled childhood and the tragedies he has had to live through, temporary insanity, or a dangerous alter ego in which he desperately strives to overcome. The moment he lost his daughter, Bess, due to the lies of the baby switch, and finding out that Bess was not really his biological daughter, he felt that it was payback for all of his sins. He painfully whispered, "I'm evil."

Author Carol P. from Total TV Online, when describing J.R. as one such tortured soul, commented, "In the annals of literary history, there are many examples of the tortured soul anti-hero; i.e. Prince Hamlet, Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre, etc. We are drawn to them specifically because they are not your run-of–the mill male protagonists who win the day. Rather, they are flawed to such a degree that we, as the reader or the viewer are often afraid, that they may never find the peace and joy we desire for them."

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JR feeling that Babe (Havins) is the key to his well-being, telling her that from the moment he saw her, he knew what kind of man he wanted to be — a better man (2003).

Further notes were taken of JR's unstable childhood and how it intertwines with his romantic relationship with Babe: "How can a young man, who has been raised with mixed messages about love, truth, and self worth, find a suitable life mate? For JR it wasn’t as simple as it appeared to have happened. There is so very much about Arabella 'Babe' Carey that was reminiscent to JR of his 'lost' mother; her size, her build, her coloring, her accent, her love of life, people, and experiences. JR was a goner the moment he spent any amount of time with her. What JR neglected to realize was that one person cannot and should not replace anyone in our lives; and that no two people will ever be exactly alike."

Other similarities drawn between Dixie and Babe were stated to be how Babe possessed several of Dixie's worst qualities — the lying, manipulation, unfaithfulness. A conclusion was drawn that this was another reason JR married Babe; pain was all he had mostly known.

Of their rocky relationship, on two separate occasions JR expressed to Babe that he felt that he was insane when he tried to kill her. One of the most daunting conversations he had with Babe about his mental turmoil suggests a deep-seated inner battle that he has lost more than once:

The pain. I can't feel the pain, Babe. If I do, it'll kill me. I don't know how to explain it. It's this feeling that I've had inside me ever since I can remember. In here. The only way that I can describe it to you is — it's as if something is living inside of me, waiting to choke me. Making me drown. Always there, ready to pull me under. And sometimes I'm able to get rid of it, numb it. Why do you think that I became an alcoholic? Why do you think I started using drugs, long before my voice ever changed? I would get high every minute of every day if I could, if I could stop from feeling it. And sometimes I feel like it's just going to take over. And a few times it has. When I feel it, I can't talk about it. I can't even acknowledge it. I'm afraid it's just too much. I'm — I'm afraid that it's going to destroy everyone and everything that I care about. How many times have I almost lost you? But I'm going to fight it.

Cultural impact

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A photo of JR and Babe's Celebrity Exclusive, 2006.

J.R. and Babe's second wedding was anticipated among viewers; this anticipation received attention outside of the soap opera medium when the fictional couple was featured in the magazine Celebrity Living, previously known for articles on celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, Denise Richards, etc. Bannered as exclusive coverage, detail such as "Babe's Beauty Bridal Shower" was included.

Attempted murder debate and NIDA

In 2006, JR tried to murder Babe (see above, Writing); this furthered an older debate about female characters remaining romantically linked to men who have tried to physically harm them in the past. JR's murder attempt was not the first time that a character in daytime drama had tried to murder the love of his life. General Hospital's Alan Quartermaine of the couple Alan and Monica had tried the same thing with his true love (several times). Journalist and blogger Ben Bryant noted, "ABC in particular, has seen the unpredictable rise of 'anti-leading' men, including two wildly popular characters with rapist pasts: Anthony Geary's 'Luke Spencer' on General Hospital, and Roger Howarth (later Trevor St. John)'s 'Todd Manning' on One Life to Live. Is it the appeal (or at least promise) of 'redemption via a good woman's love' or the age-old affinity for the 'bad boy,' that draws..."

In early 2007, JR and Babe's tempestuous romance received notice by TV Guide's Daniel R. Coleridge, who published an exclusive interview with Babe's former portrayer, Alexa Havins, and queried her about the matter. Coleridge cited the marriage as dysfunctional and seemed perplexed as to why Babe would stay with a man who tried to kill her, and as he put it, "verbally abuses her all the time". Havins addressed deeper issues about the coupling: "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?"

Fans of the romance, however, continued loving the pairing. Havins, cautious but appreciative in concerns to the couple's popularity, expressed thanks for the support.

Even though the network produced an alternative coupling for Babe in Babe and Josh, as a healthier love story, it had the opposite effect on viewers, who saw Josh's need and "love" for Babe as an obsession reminiscent of a stalker." Coleridge, on the other hand, saw Josh as a better choice for Babe and found it difficult to blame Babe for her one-night stand/emotional affair with him. Havins disagreed about the cheating, but touched on the importance of needing a change for the love story: "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."

Magazine Soaps In Depth provided a deeper insight into the murder attempt, and cited JR's motivation for the crime, which they felt was the reason why viewers were able to still embrace the character:

JR's darkest hour proved to be Young's shining moment. The scene where he confessed his crime to a comatose Kendall — his best friend and the unintentioned victim of the trap he'd set for Babe — was a marvel. Oozing agony, he explained what motivated the perversely well-intentioned stunt. Babe's love 'was just a con,' he said, his voice breaking. He had to eliminate her before she made Little Adam a target. 'It's a lot better for him,' JR continued, struggling to remain even but losing the bid to shield himself from the hurt that was swallowing him whole, 'to love a perfect mother that's gone than to believe a mother who's just gonna break his heart... She would be gone, but we would still have the memories. All that love, all good. I could raise my son on that.' It's a tough logic to sell, but Young's impactful exposure of JR's internal ruin enabled us to understand (though not condone) his actions. And that we still root for him to heal, perhaps more than ever, is compelling proof of Young's artistry.

Young's portrayal of an alcoholic battling his inner demons (most prevailing one, his revenge plots against Babe), was noted as realistic and compelling; the theme resulted in notice by the NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse (also known as NIDA), which supports productions and performances featuring the accurate depiction of drug, alcohol and tobacco use, addiction, and mental health. NIDA noted that Young was nominated for the 11th Annual PRISM Awards under the title of "All My Children: JR's Alcoholism."

Specific popularity

Despite JR's murder attempt on Babe and Babe's tough road with fans, the JR and Babe romance still remained a popular pairing in polls such as the About.com polls and polls conducted by Soap Opera Digest. Fans were known to send in balloons "and cute things at the studio" to show their support for the pairing." In mid 2007, supporters of the couple, self-declared as Jabeaholics, ordered a cake for the characters' portrayers praising JR and Babe as best couple of the year.

The romance was at the center of bitterness from viewers as well. The storyline of Babe's "death" at one of the most animosity-filled breakups between JR and Babe was one of the biggest upsets in daytime history, but not necessarily because Babe was killed off. Dixie Cooney Martin's death by the Satin Slayer serial killer is what had most viewers in a rage. The producers of All My Children decided to kill off the character of Dixie in place of Babe, then toyed with the audience in the notion that "One's not dead" in their ABC promos after Babe "died" as well. Fans clamored in trying to find a way to save Dixie, but the writers remained firm in their decision to kill off the character. The audience's animosity toward Babe was magnified, as witnessed in such articles as Creatvity anyone?

See also

• List of fictional supercouples

External links

• SoapCentral
• J.R. Chandler Quotes and Transcripts
• Babe bio at abc.com
• J.R. bio at abc.com