Allison Perkins
Encyclopedia
Allison Perkins is a fictional character
on the ABC
soap opera
One Life to Live
.
Barbara Garrick
originated the role from 1986 to 1987, returning from August 15, 2001 to August 27, 2002 and then making brief appearances from October 24 to October 28, 2002 and January 10 to January 31, 2003. Garrick once again returned to the role from January 25, 2008 and last to March 3, 2008. She reappeared on February 26, 2010 until April 13, 2010.
storyline during a season in which the series rose from #4 to #3 in the Nielsen ratings
. Villain Laurence wreaks havoc in fictional Llanview
and seeks to exact his revenge on longrunning One Life to Live heroine Viki Lord Buchanan
; his death does not end his reign of terror, as disciple Allison kidnaps Viki's newborn daughter Jessica
but ultimately returns her.
Garrick returned as Allison in 2001 for what Soap Opera Weekly
called "The Mother Of All Reveals," a storyline in which the series exploited a loophole in its continuity and created a secret history
that would "resonate for months and years." The reveal that teenage Jessica had actually been switched with another baby by Allison in 1986 — and so was not the daughter of Viki and husband Clint Buchanan
— "was about as big as they come."
When Gary Tomlin
joined One Life to Live as Executive Producer
in January 2001, his familiarity with the series and its characters — from his stint as director
from 1992 to 1995 — "manifested itself in ... the utilization of the show's rich history." At the time he noted that the return of Allison Perkins "invigorates the Viki storyline, and [Allison] kidnapped Jessica, so there's a history there." Tomlin explained how then-Head Writer
s Christopher Whitesell
and Lorraine Broderick
had thought, "OK, where can we do something where we do bring back that history but also explore something that's going to affect the future of this show?" He added that One Life to Live had been "so fortunate to get Barbara Garrick, who played the role originally, because we used those flashbacks from 13, 14 years ago. It's a treat for the audience that has invested in the show for that long, and the audience that doesn't know the story and gets to see what happened and realize, 'Oh my god, this is real. This isn't something they're making up.'"
Hospital in 1986, shy Allison Perkins takes an interest in young intern Dr. Dan Wolek, son of Dr. Larry Wolek
and his deceased wife Meredith Lord
. The two date, but nothing comes of it.
The sheltered daughter of the warden of Stateville Prison, Allison soon falls under the spell of charismatic Mitch Laurence
, who is incarcerated for the murder of Harry O'Neill. Pretending that he has "found God," evil Mitch is released from prison and returns to Llanview as an evangelist
. Still up to his old tricks, Mitch assembles his own commune
at the Westin Inn, coercing and drugging young women into being his disciples. Allison, Viki Buchanan
's niece Mari Lynn Dennison and even Harry O'Neill's daughter Joy are seduced into Mitch's cult. Enacting his vendetta against Viki, whom he blames for the failure of his past schemes, Mitch programs Allison to do his bidding. A pregnant Viki visits the commune, and Allison drugs her; on the way home, Viki has an accident and goes into premature labor. Mitch is killed by Dorian Lord
as he tries to rape her drugged daughter Cassie; Viki gives birth to baby Jessica
on September 23, 1986.
Compelled by Mitch's brainwashing, Allison puts his final plan into action. Putting on a red wig and flashy dress to look like Viki's former alternate personality
Niki Smith, Allison sneaks into Viki's mansion, Llanfair, and kidnaps Jessica while Viki is asleep. Allison leaves the baby in the care of her mother Ruth in New Jersey
, the older woman unaware of the child's origins. As the search for Jessica commences, Viki denies the suggestion that she had stolen the child as Niki. Maria Roberts
, the old flame of Viki's husband Clint Buchanan
, had already been plotting to separate Viki and Clint and take him for herself; Maria discovers Allison's involvement, and manipulates the situation further so that Clint begins to believe that Niki is the kidnapper after all. When Maria is later sure she has ruined Clint and Viki's marriage, she persuades Allison to return Jessica. Allison does, but is subsequently hit by a car and falls into a coma before she can tell anyone about Maria's scheming.
, that she is desperate for Viki's forgiveness. A close friend of Viki's, Rae urges her to visit Allison; Viki's husband Ben Davidson
, however, is suspicious and recommends against it. A compassionate Viki meets with and forgives a grateful Allison. But Ben soon hears Allison say "Viki forgave me. It's all set." to someone on the phone; he decides to infiltrate St. Ann's, posing as mental patient "Dave" to gain Allison's confidence. Allison begins falling in love with "Dave," but before Ben can learn what she is up to, Rae arranges for a "rehabilitated" Allison to leave the institution for good. Yet Allison has indeed been faking her remorse to fool Rae and get Viki's "inadvertent endorsement," thereby securing her release from St. Ann's. A free woman, Allison can now reveal the most shocking part of Mitch's original plan.
Allison seeks out her secret accomplice, Jessica's new friend Natalie Balsom
, who has ingratiated herself to Jessica and her family in the short time since she had arrived in Llanview. Allison herself had tracked Natalie down and lured her to town; now having secured the genetic proof they need, Natalie and Allison confront Viki with a devastating announcement: Natalie is Clint and Viki's biological daughter. Allison is delighted to reveal that when she had kidnapped the Buchanan baby in 1986, she had returned another child who grew up to be Jessica. Their biological daughter — Natalie — had been raised by another family in relative squalor. Viki cannot believe she could have mistaken another child for her own, and worst of all, she despises the scheming Natalie and wants nothing to do with her. Viki declares Jessica "her one and only daughter," but Allison has papers drawn up that give Natalie the legal right to live at Llanfair. As Natalie forcibly moves in, she and Allison make life as difficult as they can for Viki and Ben. Natalie desperately wants the money she "deserves" and the life that Jessica has "stolen" from her; once Natalie has access to her inheritance, she has agreed to share it with Allison.
A troubled Jessica begins a tenuous relationship with Natalie's wild mother Roxy Balsom
, whom she believes to be her mother, and with Roxy's biological son Rex
. Forging a shaky relationship with Viki and seeing Allison's greed and questionable sanity, Natalie cuts Allison loose in early 2002. Looking for cash, Allison soon convinces Roxy to pretend to be suffering from hypoglycemia
. Preying on Jessica's kindness and naïveté, they hope to get money from wealthy Jessica to pay for Roxy's expensive "treatments," and then leave town. Jessica's boyfriend Seth Anderson — who had come to Llanview as Natalie's lover and accomplice but had fallen for Jessica — discovers the scheme and tells Jessica. Allison runs Seth and Jessica off the road in her car to stop them from telling the police; she frames Roxy for the accident, leaves Seth and Jessica for dead and flees Llanview. Allison returns after discovering that Jessica intends to give Roxy $100,000. Demanding her "rightful" share of the money from Roxy, Allison admits that she had run Seth and Jessica off the road. The police having bugged Roxy without her knowledge, Allison is overheard, arrested, and sent to Statesville Prison for 20 years in the summer of 2002.
Allison becomes the cellmate of Lindsay Rappaport
, who soon discovers that as the former warden's daughter, Allison knows of a secret tunnel out of the prison. Lindsay tries to convince Allison to escape with her, but Allison — well-treated by the guards and other inmates and with "nothing waiting for her on the outside" — is content to stay incarcerated. While blackmailing R.J. Gannon
into aiding her breakout, Lindsay tells Allison that "Dave" needs her help. Lindsay and Allison escape through the tunnel, and are met and sheltered by R.J. at Rae Cummings' empty house. Meanwhile, the pressure of Natalie's appearance had triggered the return of Viki's alternate personality, Niki Smith. Desperate for her freedom, Niki pushes Ben out of a window and frames Natalie. Losing her fragile grip on reality, an increasingly violent Allison takes Roxy and then Niki hostage, intending to kill them. Leaving Roxy behind, Allison ends up taking Lindsay and Niki to the Buchanan lodge at gunpoint. About to kill one or the other, Allison is interrupted by the arrival of Police Commissioner Bo Buchanan
, officer Antonio Vega
and Viki's husband Ben. Allison is subdued, but while saving Viki, Antonio accidentally shoots Ben, which leaves him in a coma that ultimately leads to his death in 2004. A completely demented Allison is placed in a padded room at St. Ann's.
In October 2002, a DNA test
on Jessica proves that she is also Viki's daughter; Viki is shocked that she could possibly have given birth to twins. With all of Viki's delivery rooms nurses from 1986 dead, she and Bo visit Allison at St. Ann's. Viki asks Allison about the births and the kidnapping; a near-catatonic Allison tells Viki to "ask Mitch," just as a very-much-alive Mitch Laurence befriends Natalie, using the name "Michael Lazarus." Bo and Viki wonder what Allison means, and how Mitch might have been involved with the events surrounding Natalie and Jessica's births. Bo is disturbed when Allison questions if Mitch is really dead.
It is ultimately revealed that Mitch Laurence had secretly raped a drugged Viki around the same time she conceived a child with Clint. Viki had unknowingly become pregnant with fraternal twins, one fathered by Clint (Natalie) and the other fathered by Mitch (Jessica). Viki's obstetrician Dr. Walter Balsom, who had been one of religious leader Mitch's disciples, had taken Mitch's daughter during delivery, and Viki had never known she had given birth to more than one child. Mitch, however, had wanted his daughter to grow up loved by Viki in the lap of luxury, and had sent Allison to kidnap Clint's child. They had replaced her with Mitch's daughter (who would become Jessica), and had given Clint's daughter (who would become Natalie) to Dr. Balsom and his wife Roxy.
Jessica had suffered her own bout with dissociative identity disorder
from 2005 to 2006. Though not genetic, it had been explained that the illness had been triggered by childhood sexual abuse inflicted on Jessica while Viki had been running around as Niki Smith. In 2008, a recovered Jessica pretends to be her alter, "Tess," to gain the trust of schemer Jared Banks
, who had crossed paths with Tess in the past. Jared contacts St. Ann's, however, and Jessica is committed — per her own past instructions — on the suspicion that Tess has indeed taken over again. As Jessica waits for her husband Nash Brennan
and Viki to arrange her release on January 25, 2008, she is spotted by fellow patient Allison. Allison rushes up to Jessica and giggles, "I know something you don't know." She tells a doubtful Jessica that she has a big secret about Jessica's family. With Jessica's interest piqued, Allison makes a deal to tell Jessica what she knows — if Jessica breaks her out of St. Ann's. Jessica soon enlists Natalie's aid, telling her shocked sister that she plans to sneak Allison out of the sanitarium. Dressed as nuns, Jessica and Natalie smuggle Allison out of St. Ann's with every intention of returning her when they have heard her secret; Allison muses on the humor in the fact that now they are "absconding" with her in the night. Allison insists on an assurance of her total freedom before she will say anything. Promising to leave their family alone once she has revealed her secret, Allison leads the sisters to a familiar place where she can "show" them what she knows: the mausoleum on the grounds of Llanfair where their evil grandfather Victor Lord lies. Jessica locks Allison in, hoping to force her to reveal what she knows; undaunted, Allison opens a secret panel in the mausoleum and, thanking Mitch, takes out a wrapped package — and a gun. By morning, Jessica and Natalie find that Allison has escaped. Allison finds refuge with a reluctant Roxy, soon going to the Valentine's Day "Go Red Ball" and holding Jessica at gunpoint. Jared Banks
throws himself in front of Jessica, and in a struggle for the gun he and Allison fall over a high balcony; hanging for their lives, Allison defiantly lets herself fall rather than return to St. Ann's, gloating to Jessica that her secret will die with her. Jared is saved and Allison's fall is broken by an awning, leaving her alive but in critical condition. She opens her eyes for a moment on February 29, 2008, but remains comatose.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
.
Barbara Garrick
Barbara Garrick
Barbara Garrick is an American actress who portrayed DeDe Halcyon Day in the three television miniseries based on Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City novels. She was nominated for a Gemini Award in 1999 for Further Tales of the City.Garrick was born in Los Angeles, California and graduated from...
originated the role from 1986 to 1987, returning from August 15, 2001 to August 27, 2002 and then making brief appearances from October 24 to October 28, 2002 and January 10 to January 31, 2003. Garrick once again returned to the role from January 25, 2008 and last to March 3, 2008. She reappeared on February 26, 2010 until April 13, 2010.
Impact
The character of Allison became a key player in the 1986 Mitch LaurenceMitch Laurence
Mitchell "Mitch" Laurence is a fictional character, portrayed by Roscoe Born, on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live, from 1985 to 1987 and again from 2002 to 2003...
storyline during a season in which the series rose from #4 to #3 in the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. Villain Laurence wreaks havoc in fictional Llanview
Llanview, Pennsylvania
Llanview, Pennsylvania is the fictional setting for the long-running American soap opera One Life to Live. The city exists in the same fictional universe as cities from other existing or defunct ABC daytime dramas, including Pine Valley from All My Children, Port Charles from General Hospital, and...
and seeks to exact his revenge on longrunning One Life to Live heroine Viki Lord Buchanan
Victoria Lord
Victoria "Viki" Lord is the principal fictional character and matriarch of the Lord family on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
; his death does not end his reign of terror, as disciple Allison kidnaps Viki's newborn daughter Jessica
Jessica Buchanan
Jessica Eugenia Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
but ultimately returns her.
Garrick returned as Allison in 2001 for what Soap Opera Weekly
Soap Opera Weekly
Soap Opera Weekly is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional information...
called "The Mother Of All Reveals," a storyline in which the series exploited a loophole in its continuity and created a secret history
Secret history
A secret history is a revisionist interpretation of either fictional or real history which is claimed to have been deliberately suppressed, forgotten, or ignored by established scholars.-Secret histories of the real world:...
that would "resonate for months and years." The reveal that teenage Jessica had actually been switched with another baby by Allison in 1986 — and so was not the daughter of Viki and husband Clint Buchanan
Clint Buchanan
Clinton "Clint" Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live.-Casting:The role was originated in September 10, 1979 by actor Clint Ritchie, portraying the role nearly continuously through December 30, 1999. Ritchie reappeared in the 2003 and 2004. Actor Jerry...
— "was about as big as they come."
When Gary Tomlin
Gary Tomlin
-Career:Tomlin's career on daytime serials began in 1973 when he was cast on NBC's Search for Tomorrow as Bruce Carson. He also made a guest appearance on "The Nightwalker" episode of the Waltons . He later appeared as Morgan Simpson on the NBC soap opera Another World in 1979...
joined One Life to Live as Executive Producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
in January 2001, his familiarity with the series and its characters — from his stint as director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
from 1992 to 1995 — "manifested itself in ... the utilization of the show's rich history." At the time he noted that the return of Allison Perkins "invigorates the Viki storyline, and [Allison] kidnapped Jessica, so there's a history there." Tomlin explained how then-Head Writer
Head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
s Christopher Whitesell
Christopher Whitesell
Christopher Whitesell is an American television soap opera writer. He has served as either co-head writer, associate head writer, or a breakdown writer on the shows he's worked on.-Positions held:Another World...
and Lorraine Broderick
Lorraine Broderick
Lorraine Broderick is an American television soap opera writer who got her start on All My Children as a protégée of the show's creator, Agnes Nixon.-Bio:...
had thought, "OK, where can we do something where we do bring back that history but also explore something that's going to affect the future of this show?" He added that One Life to Live had been "so fortunate to get Barbara Garrick, who played the role originally, because we used those flashbacks from 13, 14 years ago. It's a treat for the audience that has invested in the show for that long, and the audience that doesn't know the story and gets to see what happened and realize, 'Oh my god, this is real. This isn't something they're making up.'"
1986
While a volunteer at LlanviewLlanview, Pennsylvania
Llanview, Pennsylvania is the fictional setting for the long-running American soap opera One Life to Live. The city exists in the same fictional universe as cities from other existing or defunct ABC daytime dramas, including Pine Valley from All My Children, Port Charles from General Hospital, and...
Hospital in 1986, shy Allison Perkins takes an interest in young intern Dr. Dan Wolek, son of Dr. Larry Wolek
Larry Wolek
Dr. Lawrence "Larry" Wolek is a fictional character on the American soap opera, One Life to Live. The role was originated on the debut episode July 15, 1968, and most notably portrayed by actor Michael Storm who played the role nearly continuously from January 4, 1969 through 2004.-Enter Larry:The...
and his deceased wife Meredith Lord
Meredith Lord
Meredith "Merrie" Lord Wolek is an original character on the American soap opera, One Life to Live. The role was originated by Trish Van Devere from the debut episode through 1969...
. The two date, but nothing comes of it.
The sheltered daughter of the warden of Stateville Prison, Allison soon falls under the spell of charismatic Mitch Laurence
Mitch Laurence
Mitchell "Mitch" Laurence is a fictional character, portrayed by Roscoe Born, on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live, from 1985 to 1987 and again from 2002 to 2003...
, who is incarcerated for the murder of Harry O'Neill. Pretending that he has "found God," evil Mitch is released from prison and returns to Llanview as an evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
. Still up to his old tricks, Mitch assembles his own commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
at the Westin Inn, coercing and drugging young women into being his disciples. Allison, Viki Buchanan
Victoria Lord
Victoria "Viki" Lord is the principal fictional character and matriarch of the Lord family on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
's niece Mari Lynn Dennison and even Harry O'Neill's daughter Joy are seduced into Mitch's cult. Enacting his vendetta against Viki, whom he blames for the failure of his past schemes, Mitch programs Allison to do his bidding. A pregnant Viki visits the commune, and Allison drugs her; on the way home, Viki has an accident and goes into premature labor. Mitch is killed by Dorian Lord
Dorian Cramer Lord
Dr. Dorian Lord Buchanan is a fictional character and matriarch of the Cramer family on the American daytime drama One Life to Live, most notably portrayed for nearly three decades by Robin Strasser...
as he tries to rape her drugged daughter Cassie; Viki gives birth to baby Jessica
Jessica Buchanan
Jessica Eugenia Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
on September 23, 1986.
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
Niki Smith, Allison sneaks into Viki's mansion, Llanfair, and kidnaps Jessica while Viki is asleep. Allison leaves the baby in the care of her mother Ruth in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, the older woman unaware of the child's origins. As the search for Jessica commences, Viki denies the suggestion that she had stolen the child as Niki. Maria Roberts
Maria Roberts
Maria Roberts is a fictional character on the long running ABC soap One Life to Live. Maria was portrayed by BarBara Luna from 1986 to the character's death in 1988. Melissa Archer AKA Natalie Buchanan took over the role during a 2008 story line that took Natalie and Jared Banks back in time...
, the old flame of Viki's husband Clint Buchanan
Clint Buchanan
Clinton "Clint" Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live.-Casting:The role was originated in September 10, 1979 by actor Clint Ritchie, portraying the role nearly continuously through December 30, 1999. Ritchie reappeared in the 2003 and 2004. Actor Jerry...
, had already been plotting to separate Viki and Clint and take him for herself; Maria discovers Allison's involvement, and manipulates the situation further so that Clint begins to believe that Niki is the kidnapper after all. When Maria is later sure she has ruined Clint and Viki's marriage, she persuades Allison to return Jessica. Allison does, but is subsequently hit by a car and falls into a coma before she can tell anyone about Maria's scheming.
2001
In 2001, Allison reappears in Llanview at St. Ann's mental institution. Sane and remorseful, Allison tells her new psychologist, Dr. Rae CummingsRae Cummings
Dr. Gretel Rae Cummings, PhD is a fictional character on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live.-Casting and awards:Gretel was originated by Linda Dano from 1978 to 1980...
, that she is desperate for Viki's forgiveness. A close friend of Viki's, Rae urges her to visit Allison; Viki's husband Ben Davidson
Ben Davidson (One Life to Live)
Dr. Ben Davidson is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, portrayed by actor Mark Derwin from February 1999 to August 2002, and briefly in February 2004 and July 2008...
, however, is suspicious and recommends against it. A compassionate Viki meets with and forgives a grateful Allison. But Ben soon hears Allison say "Viki forgave me. It's all set." to someone on the phone; he decides to infiltrate St. Ann's, posing as mental patient "Dave" to gain Allison's confidence. Allison begins falling in love with "Dave," but before Ben can learn what she is up to, Rae arranges for a "rehabilitated" Allison to leave the institution for good. Yet Allison has indeed been faking her remorse to fool Rae and get Viki's "inadvertent endorsement," thereby securing her release from St. Ann's. A free woman, Allison can now reveal the most shocking part of Mitch's original plan.
Allison seeks out her secret accomplice, Jessica's new friend Natalie Balsom
Natalie Buchanan
Natalie Buchanan Banks is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live and daughter of former supercouple Victoria Lord and Clint Buchanan...
, who has ingratiated herself to Jessica and her family in the short time since she had arrived in Llanview. Allison herself had tracked Natalie down and lured her to town; now having secured the genetic proof they need, Natalie and Allison confront Viki with a devastating announcement: Natalie is Clint and Viki's biological daughter. Allison is delighted to reveal that when she had kidnapped the Buchanan baby in 1986, she had returned another child who grew up to be Jessica. Their biological daughter — Natalie — had been raised by another family in relative squalor. Viki cannot believe she could have mistaken another child for her own, and worst of all, she despises the scheming Natalie and wants nothing to do with her. Viki declares Jessica "her one and only daughter," but Allison has papers drawn up that give Natalie the legal right to live at Llanfair. As Natalie forcibly moves in, she and Allison make life as difficult as they can for Viki and Ben. Natalie desperately wants the money she "deserves" and the life that Jessica has "stolen" from her; once Natalie has access to her inheritance, she has agreed to share it with Allison.
A troubled Jessica begins a tenuous relationship with Natalie's wild mother Roxy Balsom
Roxy Balsom
Roxanne Louise "Roxy" Balsom is a fictional character on ABC's daytime drama One Life to Live...
, whom she believes to be her mother, and with Roxy's biological son Rex
Rex Balsom
Rex Balsom is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live, portrayed by John-Paul Lavoisier since May 9, 2002.With the character initially named "Jamie" prior to production, then-Executive Producer Gary Tomlin "toyed with the idea" of putting Rex in a gay storyline;...
. Forging a shaky relationship with Viki and seeing Allison's greed and questionable sanity, Natalie cuts Allison loose in early 2002. Looking for cash, Allison soon convinces Roxy to pretend to be suffering from hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia or hypoglycæmia is the medical term for a state produced by a lower than normal level of blood glucose. The term literally means "under-sweet blood"...
. Preying on Jessica's kindness and naïveté, they hope to get money from wealthy Jessica to pay for Roxy's expensive "treatments," and then leave town. Jessica's boyfriend Seth Anderson — who had come to Llanview as Natalie's lover and accomplice but had fallen for Jessica — discovers the scheme and tells Jessica. Allison runs Seth and Jessica off the road in her car to stop them from telling the police; she frames Roxy for the accident, leaves Seth and Jessica for dead and flees Llanview. Allison returns after discovering that Jessica intends to give Roxy $100,000. Demanding her "rightful" share of the money from Roxy, Allison admits that she had run Seth and Jessica off the road. The police having bugged Roxy without her knowledge, Allison is overheard, arrested, and sent to Statesville Prison for 20 years in the summer of 2002.
Allison becomes the cellmate of Lindsay Rappaport
Lindsay Rappaport
Lindsay Rappaport is a fictional character from the American daytime drama One Life to Live, portrayed by Catherine Hickland from May 1998 to October 2008. Hickland briefly reprised the role in July 2009. Hickland is set to reprise her role as Lindsay in late 2011...
, who soon discovers that as the former warden's daughter, Allison knows of a secret tunnel out of the prison. Lindsay tries to convince Allison to escape with her, but Allison — well-treated by the guards and other inmates and with "nothing waiting for her on the outside" — is content to stay incarcerated. While blackmailing R.J. Gannon
R.J. Gannon
Randall James "R. J." Gannon is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live. He has been portrayed by Timothy D. Stickney since 1994, though the character was put on recurring status in 2006 and aired through May 29, 2008. He returned briefly in April 2009 for three episodes.R.J...
into aiding her breakout, Lindsay tells Allison that "Dave" needs her help. Lindsay and Allison escape through the tunnel, and are met and sheltered by R.J. at Rae Cummings' empty house. Meanwhile, the pressure of Natalie's appearance had triggered the return of Viki's alternate personality, Niki Smith. Desperate for her freedom, Niki pushes Ben out of a window and frames Natalie. Losing her fragile grip on reality, an increasingly violent Allison takes Roxy and then Niki hostage, intending to kill them. Leaving Roxy behind, Allison ends up taking Lindsay and Niki to the Buchanan lodge at gunpoint. About to kill one or the other, Allison is interrupted by the arrival of Police Commissioner Bo Buchanan
Bo Buchanan
Beaufort Oglethorpe "Bo" Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.-Casting and awards:The role was originated in 1979 by Robert S. Woods, who briefly left the series in 1986 but returned in 1988, and currently portrays the role...
, officer Antonio Vega
Antonio Vega
Antonio Vega is a fictional character on the long-running American soap opera One Life to Live. The role was originated on July 10, 1995 by Kamar de los Reyes, who left in August 1997 and made an appearance in 1998. De los Reyes returned in February 2000 and portrayed the character until March 25,...
and Viki's husband Ben. Allison is subdued, but while saving Viki, Antonio accidentally shoots Ben, which leaves him in a coma that ultimately leads to his death in 2004. A completely demented Allison is placed in a padded room at St. Ann's.
In October 2002, a DNA test
Genetic fingerprinting
DNA profiling is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier...
on Jessica proves that she is also Viki's daughter; Viki is shocked that she could possibly have given birth to twins. With all of Viki's delivery rooms nurses from 1986 dead, she and Bo visit Allison at St. Ann's. Viki asks Allison about the births and the kidnapping; a near-catatonic Allison tells Viki to "ask Mitch," just as a very-much-alive Mitch Laurence befriends Natalie, using the name "Michael Lazarus." Bo and Viki wonder what Allison means, and how Mitch might have been involved with the events surrounding Natalie and Jessica's births. Bo is disturbed when Allison questions if Mitch is really dead.
It is ultimately revealed that Mitch Laurence had secretly raped a drugged Viki around the same time she conceived a child with Clint. Viki had unknowingly become pregnant with fraternal twins, one fathered by Clint (Natalie) and the other fathered by Mitch (Jessica). Viki's obstetrician Dr. Walter Balsom, who had been one of religious leader Mitch's disciples, had taken Mitch's daughter during delivery, and Viki had never known she had given birth to more than one child. Mitch, however, had wanted his daughter to grow up loved by Viki in the lap of luxury, and had sent Allison to kidnap Clint's child. They had replaced her with Mitch's daughter (who would become Jessica), and had given Clint's daughter (who would become Natalie) to Dr. Balsom and his wife Roxy.
2003
In early 2003, Mitch visits Allison at St. Ann's. Though Allison is "insane and incoherent," Mitch orders her to pull herself together and indicates that they still have more to accomplish.2008
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
from 2005 to 2006. Though not genetic, it had been explained that the illness had been triggered by childhood sexual abuse inflicted on Jessica while Viki had been running around as Niki Smith. In 2008, a recovered Jessica pretends to be her alter, "Tess," to gain the trust of schemer Jared Banks
Jared Banks
Jared Banks is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live. Originally slated to debut on August 17, 2007, the character, as portrayed by John Brotherton, first appeared a week earlier on August 10, 2007. Chris Bones played a young Jared in flashbacks on January 17, 2008...
, who had crossed paths with Tess in the past. Jared contacts St. Ann's, however, and Jessica is committed — per her own past instructions — on the suspicion that Tess has indeed taken over again. As Jessica waits for her husband Nash Brennan
Nash Brennan
Nash Brennan is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live, played by Forbes March from July 7, 2005 to June 5, 2008, and then briefly from June 6, 2008 to July 16, 2008.-Tess and Jessica:...
and Viki to arrange her release on January 25, 2008, she is spotted by fellow patient Allison. Allison rushes up to Jessica and giggles, "I know something you don't know." She tells a doubtful Jessica that she has a big secret about Jessica's family. With Jessica's interest piqued, Allison makes a deal to tell Jessica what she knows — if Jessica breaks her out of St. Ann's. Jessica soon enlists Natalie's aid, telling her shocked sister that she plans to sneak Allison out of the sanitarium. Dressed as nuns, Jessica and Natalie smuggle Allison out of St. Ann's with every intention of returning her when they have heard her secret; Allison muses on the humor in the fact that now they are "absconding" with her in the night. Allison insists on an assurance of her total freedom before she will say anything. Promising to leave their family alone once she has revealed her secret, Allison leads the sisters to a familiar place where she can "show" them what she knows: the mausoleum on the grounds of Llanfair where their evil grandfather Victor Lord lies. Jessica locks Allison in, hoping to force her to reveal what she knows; undaunted, Allison opens a secret panel in the mausoleum and, thanking Mitch, takes out a wrapped package — and a gun. By morning, Jessica and Natalie find that Allison has escaped. Allison finds refuge with a reluctant Roxy, soon going to the Valentine's Day "Go Red Ball" and holding Jessica at gunpoint. Jared Banks
Jared Banks
Jared Banks is a fictional character on the American daytime drama One Life to Live. Originally slated to debut on August 17, 2007, the character, as portrayed by John Brotherton, first appeared a week earlier on August 10, 2007. Chris Bones played a young Jared in flashbacks on January 17, 2008...
throws himself in front of Jessica, and in a struggle for the gun he and Allison fall over a high balcony; hanging for their lives, Allison defiantly lets herself fall rather than return to St. Ann's, gloating to Jessica that her secret will die with her. Jared is saved and Allison's fall is broken by an awning, leaving her alive but in critical condition. She opens her eyes for a moment on February 29, 2008, but remains comatose.