Peter Reckell – the most recent recipient of Soap Hub’s Performer of the Week for Days of our Lives award – had a lot to accomplish during his recent guest stint on the NBC serial. First and foremost, meet his namesake grandson. Next, ally fears, bestow a blessing, good-naturedly rib his son-in-law, and reintroduce a spirit to its proper host. All in a day’s work.
Peter Reckell – Performer of the Week
No, Ciara Brady (Victoria Konefal) wasn’t seeing things – because if she were, then Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson) was seeing them too. Believe it or not, Peter Reckell’s Bo Brady was indeed standing before them, a literal vision in white.
Bo opened with a joke. Well, not a joke per se…perhaps a misspeak. He wasn’t actually there in the flesh, but he was there. To alleviate any doubt, he reminded his daughter that, “I’m the one who taught you how to remap a fuel injection system.” Oh, and he was also the one who imbued Ciara with the power to penetrate that black magic conjured force-field and save her babe.
Upon Bo’s proper introduction to baby Bo, Reckell beamed with grandfatherly pleasure. Then, when Ciara groused that the Devil was still on the loose, he guffawed in a way that only an all-knowing father does. “He’s not coming back,” Reckell declared authoritatively.
But was he sure, Ciara wondered. “Am I…is that any way to speak to your old man,” Bo retorted, Reckell’s inflection making clear that he was lightly teasing rather than harshly rebuking. “Yeah, baby, I’m sure. You and this little guy are safe. It’s over.”
And though he could have gone on to explain that Tripp Dalton (Lucas Adams) had sacrificed himself to save not only Allie Horton (Lindsay Arnold) but the world at large, Bo gently brushed the explanation to the side.
Instead, he wanted to have a word with Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson). Mano a mano. And don’t call him Sir, Ben! Reckell’s mock bristle at the very notion he be addressed as such was a hoot, and so very Bo.
“Look man, I know you’re worried about having a baby, and I know why. But you’ve got to let it go. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned it’s all about redemption, and you young man, you’ve redeemed yourself.”
In balance to the mush, Bo threw in a joke, “You’re a good man…and mmm, you’re an okay husband.”
Finally, it was time for Bo to take his leave. “Tell your mom, I love her, give that little guy lots of kisses for me,” he asked of Ciara. “And little one, I’m really proud of you.” That last line Reckell delivered with a noticeable catch in his voice and eyes welled up with tears.
Never one to end on too sappy a note, Bo bid his final adieu with a quick “Alright, I’m out of here!” Here’s hoping that Peter Reckell might be amenable to another visit or two. Bo’s kin, and the actor’s fans, sure would be appreciative.
Honorable Mention: Victoria Konefal
It’s hard to believe that Konefal and Reckell never taped scenes opposite one another before this moment because their daddy/daughter chemistry was off the charts. And surely there were more than a few fans left misty-eyed fans after Konefal’s Ciara presented her baby and blubbered, “Daddy, I named him Bo.”
Honorable Mention: Stephen Nichols
Some – yours truly included – may quibble that Steve Johnson was the only character to catch a glimpse of Reckell’s Bo other than Ciara, Ben, and the wee one, but there’s no denying that the scene itself was a thing of simple beauty. Never has a nod of the head evoked such emotions.
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