Jonathan Lavery

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Jonathan Lavery

Jeff Branson as Jonathan Lavery
All My Children
Portrayed by Jeff Branson
First appearance June 15, 2004
Last appearance December 18, 2007
Cause/reason Dropped off canvas
Created by Megan McTavish
Profile
Nickname(s) JonBoy
Gender Male
Occupation Bartender at ConFusion nightclub.
Former bartender at BJ's.
Former executive at Fusion Cosmetics.

Jonathan Lavery is a fictional character from the ABC daytime drama All My Children. He has been portrayed by actor Jeff Branson from June 15, 2004 to December 18, 2007.

Called the "sometimes-villainous Lavery" by newspaper Daily Chronicle,[1] the character became an ever-evolving fixture in daytime television.

Contents

[edit] Storyline

Jonathan Lavery arrives in Pine Valley in June 2004 as the younger brother of Ryan Lavery. Jonathan has just graduated from business school and Ryan hires him to work at the company Cambias Industries. In September 2004, Ryan is shot at a murder mystery party in Zach Slater's casino by who everyone thinks is Kendall Hart, a woman who Jonathan slept with not long after coming to town. Soon after, Ryan's wife, Greenlee, is poisoned. Jonathan blames many people for this, including Kendall, Zach, and Ethan Cambias, all of whom have a vendetta against Ryan. When Jonathan isn't blaming these people, he is involved romantically with Maggie Stone in a relationship that starts off quite well, ultimately leading to a sudden engagement between them in January 2005.

Jonathan abused and controlled Maggie in his villainous days.
Jonathan abused and controlled Maggie in his villainous days.

It is then that Jonathan starts to reveal his controlling, abusive side, going as far as to hitting Maggie. In February 2005, Maggie finds the courage to leave Jonathan and soon leaves town with Bianca and Miranda Montgomery. That same night, Edmund Grey is killed in his stables at Wildwind by whom people think is Zach. It is revealed in March 2005 that Jonathan is responsible for shooting Ryan, poisoning Greenlee, and murdering Edmund. An unhinged Jonathan kidnaps Kendall, Greenlee and Lily Montgomery in April 2005, all in a twisted attempt to "save" Ryan. Ryan discovers his brother's guilt and tracks the women and Jonathan to the cave where Jonathan is keeping them captive.

Jonathan wielding a gun.
Jonathan wielding a gun.

There, Ryan learns that Jonathan has actually killed their brother, Braden, as well and framed him for the crimes. Jonathan is set to kill Greenlee, thus Ryan is forced to shoot his brother to save his wife. The women and Ryan escape, but Jonathan triggers a bomb in the cave and it buries Jonathan under a pile of rubble. Ryan is forced to deal with the guilt associated with killing his own brother. He spirals into depression, convinced that he is as tainted as his two brothers were. In order to protect Greenlee from what Ryan sees as a doomed life with him, he fakes his own death. During this time, Ryan not only finds his long-lost sister, Erin, but discovers that she has found Jonathan and nursed him back to health. After having Jonathan admitted to a hospital, Ryan and Erin are shocked to learn that their brother has a large brain tumor, which, along with mis-prescribed anti-psychotic drugs, are deemed responsible for all of his horrible actions since childhood. The tumor is removed, reducing Jonathan's mental state to that of a child, originally said to be age fifteen, but soon noticeably displays a younger age than that of a mid-teenager.

Jonathan after his brain surgery.
Jonathan after his brain surgery.

It is during this time that Jonathan befriends Lily, who is autistic. Their unique friendship turns to love, something that unnerves Lily's father, Jackson Montgomery. However, while in New York City in the spring of 2006, Jonathan and Lily, as Lily has turned age eighteen, marry. Weeks later, a seizure restores Jonathan's adult faculties to him. He decides to keep it a secret so that Lily doesn't feel alone again. And although Amanda Dillon, Lily's one-time stepsister, finds out, she keeps it a secret as well. Their secret, however, comes to an end in August 2006 when Jackson wants to declare Lily mentally incompetent and Jonathan comes out with the truth. A distraught Lily divorces Jonathan, who is heartbroken, but soon comforted by Amanda, who has developed romantic feelings for him.

When Amanda realizes that Jonathan will never be in love with her, she moves on romantically with J.R. Chandler, for a more sexual relationship, not worrying about love at all. Jonathan moves on romatically with Ava Benton, Lily's half-sister, who happens to be identical to Lily's physical attributes. He becomes engaged to Ava. But on January 16, 2008, Ava tells Amanda at Fusion Cosmetics that they have broken up. Jonathan disappeared from the background.

[edit] Retconning

Jonathan's history has been retconned on more than one occasion. In 2001, it was stated that Gail Lavery had married Patrick Curry,[2] but later had taken back her maiden name and given it to her children. This was later re-written, as Jonathan's father's name was later revealed to actually be Patrick Lavery.[3]

[edit] Specific character detail

[edit] Characterization

Out-lined as handsome and determined, Jonathan Lavery is portrayed as fiercely loyal and extremely caring. Originally one of volatile temperament due to a brain tumor, he is now more rational and calm when dealing with otherwise irrational matters.

[edit] Wardrobe

The wardrobe of Jonathan Lavery, his typical style of wearing suits and leather jackets, changed as the character went from villainous, to child-like and then to more so a redeemed hero. The difference in manner was naturally required and particularly significant in the case of Jonathan being written to have the mind of a child. The show often dressed him in a simple t-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes, and the character usually wore a baseball cap to impose the innocence of a young boy, who is a typical sports fan. Accompanied with the wardrobe was a stutter of words whenever the character talked.

Once Jonathan's adult mindset was restored, but without his previous villainous qualities, his style of wardrobe was changed yet again, this time to reflect that of a more casual look.

Jonathan in a leather jacket during his villainous days.
Jonathan in jail, falsely accused of a crime, wearing his baseball cap during his child-like days.
Jonathan as how he dresses now, usually in more casual wear.

[edit] Crimes and misdeeds committed

Crime/Misdeed Detail
Domestic abuse Girlfriend Larraine Rossiter.
Assault Placed on probation for assault with instructions to undergo anger management
Career deception Lied about getting his MBA.
Theft Bianca's tank top that had Miranda's DNA so it wouldn't be tested against Ethan Cambias' blood type and so that Ryan could keep the Cambias fortune.
Poisoned Greenlee with an anti-psychosis drug when she was his sister-in-law.
Domestic abuse Slapped Maggie Stone during an argument.
Assault Bobby Warner.
Murder Edmund Grey.
Murder His brother, Braden Lavery.
Murder Steve, a bodyguard hired to protect Greenlee and Lily.
Kidnapping Greenlee and Lily (and later Kendall) and forced them into a cave.
Hostages Held Greenlee, Kendall and Lily at gunpoint and forced them into a mine where he locked them behind an iron gate.
Kidnapping Arrested for the kidnapping of Adam Chandler III. Later proved innocent.
Murder Steve, a bodyguard hired to protect Greenlee and Lily
Killed Shot and killed Terry McDermott while defending Lily.

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Herra, Dana. "Biggest fan' wins visit from daytime TV star: ‘Job swap' also took receptionist to N.Y.", Daily Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-12-13. 
  2. ^ Name given on-air on All My Children on October 31, 2001.
  3. ^ Stated on-air on All My Children on July 19, 2004.

[edit] External links

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All My Children
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Created by: Agnes Nixon  • Headwriters: James Harmon Brown and Barbara Esensten  • Executive producer: Julie Hanan Carruthers
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