Nina’s years in a coma left her a tad naïve, which is actually a lovely, vulnerable quality. General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, Nina’s portrayer, tapped into that vulnerability nicely as she mistakenly assumed that being honest with WSB agent William Baines (Alimi Ballard) was the right thing to do. Nina would convince the lawman that she had nothing to do with Jack Brennan’s (Chris McKenna) disappearance and presumed death simply by telling the truth, right?
Wrong. Nina’s in hot water, which is a bad thing. But the predicament has given Watros an opportunity to once again shine as Nina has been thrown into her worst nightmare. And for that, TV Insider is honoring Watros, a Daytime Emmy Award-winning actress (for playing Annie on Guiding Light) and a SAG Award winner (for Lost), with our Performer of the Week for Daytime honors.
Also, this week, Watros shared screentime with Maurice Benard‘s Sonny (why aren’t these two together more often?), and we were reminded of how she brings out the coffee importer’s vulnerable side.
Watros showed how being open with authorities isn’t always the wisest move. In fairness, Baines doesn’t know Nina. For all he knew, she could have been putting on an innocent act when she claimed not to know anything about Jack’s disappearance.
When Baines inquired as to where Nina was the night Jack went missing, Watros played her characters as almost “hurt” that she could be suspected of being nefarious. She quickly shifted into survival mode by extricating herself from her conversation with Baines, informing him that she wouldn’t be talking to him again without the benefit of counsel.
Nina was advised not to leave town, but no one suggested to her that she avoid another destination — denial. Assured by her Aunt Leisl (Kathleen Gati) that nothing would happen to her, Watros played Nina as a woman who rejected the notion that she might be being framed. She smiled nervously and told herself that she was being foolish to think she could end up in jail.
Still…she reached out to Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) for some legal aid. That’s when she ran into Ric’s half-brother, Sonny. Nina and Sonny’s sojourn to Nixon Falls a few years ago changed Sonny forever and ensconced Nina as one of the most important women in his life.
Sure, he’s quit the mob now, but when Sonny had amnesia and was going by Mike, he and Nina shared a life together away from the mafia. Sonny regained his memories, but his fondness for Nina is a part of who he is. Watros’s Nina is able to bring out a side to Sonny that no other woman has been able to ever do.
“Sonny, I haven’t done anything wrong,” Nina gently told her ex-husband. “I don’t know where Jack is. I wish I did.”
Watros plays Nina with compassion at nearly every turn. When the names of other women in Sonny’s life come up, Watros has Nina play the history that both Nina and Sonny have with these women. Bringing up these women could easily lead to an argument, but Nina works at making that not happen. She’s able to convey information about them without setting him off. Nina has a calming influence on Sonny even in volatile situations.
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Nina’s awareness of just how much trouble she was in became heightened after she was hauled into the police station for further questioning. Ric arrived and did his best to calm Nina, who grew more hysterical as she realized that she was being framed.
Surrounded by the walls of the PCPD, Nina felt figurative walls closing in on her. The more Nina realized that authorities believed she could be guilty, the more frustrated and frantic she grew.
As Baines and Ric argued the evidence against Nina, our eyes were fixated on Watros. Her eyes told the story of Nina’s future – she was being railroaded! Nina turned to Ric and had no words to speak, but we could hear her loud and clear: “Help me!”
Going against counsel, Nina fell into emotion. A more calculating person might have kept quiet, but Nina felt that the more passionate she was, the more she’d be believed. Again, wrong.
“I have no idea where Jack Brennan is, and I have no idea how his wallet got into my car,” Nina shouted. “Maybe he put it in there?”
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Nina continued, “Maybe he wanted to leave town, and he thought that this was a great opportunity to hurt me in the process? I mean, he is a spy, right? That’s what they do!”
“I’m being framed either by Jack or someone else,” Nina later told Ric, the realization that not only was Jack missing but that someone was setting her up washing over her. She felt trapped and defeated.
Nina apologized to Ric for going off on an emotional rant in front of a WSB agent. One thing that Watros will never have to apologize for is giving us tour de force performances as she did last week!
We don’t want to see Nina go to jail for this, but we’re not going to complain if she’s put on trial and gets up on the witness stand. Longtime fans of Watros’ know that the actress excels in courtroom dramas when she’s testifying. But she doesn’t need to be under oath to deliver the goods. She’s always brilliant! Brava!
General Hospital, Weekdays, ABC