Jane Elliot showed new and familiar sides to Tracy on GH.
We’ve seen many facets of Tracy Quartermaine, played by Jane Elliot, on General Hospital and she’s never disappointed us. Recently, the show handed the actress the opportunity to play business-savvy Tracy as being inebriated and the actress hit it out of the boardroom.
Performer of the Week – Jane Elliot
Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) brought Tracy to a Hawaiian-themed night at the Metro Court pool, she said, to give both the family and the staff a break from her granny’s irate mood. Her plan was to also get Tracy’s mind off her plans for Deception. Tracy’s granddaughter plied her with potent Mai Tai drinks to keep her off-guard. While some actors say the secret to playing drunk is to have their character show that they’re trying not to be drunk, the Daytime Emmy-winning Elliot took another path.
Initially, we saw Tracy’s trademark disdain as she made fun of everything from the impressive fire-eating artist (how does he do that?) to the “wilted” lei Brooklyn presented to her granny. She referred to the Metro Court pool’s Hawaiian night as a “wasteland of kitsch” and later a “pineapple purgatory.” As she became inebriated, we got to see sides of Tracy that were both comical (like slurping the last remaining liquid in her drink) to the dramatic.
Our hearts broke for Tracy as she lamented Luke (Anthony Geary) no longer being on this earth. “I can’t believe he’s gone,” Tracy sighed. “We were going to travel the world together – Luke-style not Quartermaine…he was so funny…he used to make me laugh. He used to make me cry. He never bored me…I miss him so.”
Brook Lynn felt sympathy for her granny and decided to take her home but first, Elliot got to show other flavors to Tracy being drunk. “Mac!” Tracy flirtatiously said to Felicia’s (Kristina Wagner) husband. After Mac (John J. York) failed to respond to Tracy, she said, “Felicia, you should get that fire-twirler over here to warm up ‘Chilly Willy.’”
Despite being intoxicated, Tracy wouldn’t let go of her desire for Deception much to Brook Lynn’s chagrin. “You still owe me and you’re going to pay me back with Deception,” a bombed Tracy said. “I want it all!”
The frustration Brook Lynn felt about her failed effort to get Tracy’s mind off Deception paled in comparison to the pain a hungover Tracy was later feeling in the Quartermaine kitchen. There, Tracy, hair disheveled, clashed with Ned (Wally Kurth), who insists he’s not Ned but, in fact, singer Eddie Maine. Elliot walked that line of Tracy feeling passionate about her son’s identity crisis while never forgetting for a single second that Tracy felt the room spinning while hangover drums banged in her head.
In between sips of water, which she was wisely trying to get rehydrated, Tracy accosted her son, standing (rather sitting) firm in her position that he’s not Eddie Maine but rather Ned Quartermaine. Tracy may have let Brook Lynn ply her with extra strong Mai Tai drinks but she didn’t let Eddie get anything past her.
Eddie blasted Tracy over her wanting him committed in an effort to regain the identity that Tracy wants him to have — not the one that Eddie believes is his authentic self. An unintoxicated Tracy is never going to let anyone have the last word on her. She asked Ned why he still lived in Monica’s house (in case you forget, the late Alan gave it to her) if he was so worried about being put away by Ned’s family. Why not live with Sonny (Maurice Benard)? “Too many goombahs,” Eddie shrugged referencing the coffee importer’s assorted bodyguards.
That’s when Tracy saw her opening to make her point. Elliot delivered her response in true Tracy Quartermaine style — the woman who is most often three steps ahead of the people in her life.
“And there it is,” Tracy said, pointing her finger at her son. “I knew it. You are in there Ned. Somewhere.” Bravo to Jane Elliot for showing us different colors to Tracy’s palette and for always leaving us wanting more of her terrific performances.
