Isn't it ironic? Back in 1992, Bo Buchanan was suicidal over the tragic death of wife Sarah Gordon when feisty legal eagle Nora Gannon gave him a new reason to live. Today, eight years and a messy divorce later, Bo is mourning the passing of his presumed-dead ex, Nora.
However, the unlucky guy isn't likely to get a case of déjà vu. Though Nora supposedly kicked the bucket in a train wreck, the incognito "stiff" actually is recovering with the help of the handsome, mysterious Dr. Colin MacIver. And to complicate matters further, the woman with whom Bo recently had a clandestine one-night stand is said M.D.'s wife. Oh, and did we mention that said M.D.'s wife, Dr. Melanie MacIver, is the sister of Bo's ex-fiancee Lindsay?
To put it mildly, Bo's life is no picnic as of late, and there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight. "If I were him, I would become a monk!" quips his longtime portrayer, Robert S. Woods. "He should go off to Tibet!"
But Bo is staying in Llanview, and his first order of business is making amends with the woman he's loved and lost. For starters, he'll find mercy in his heart for Nora, even if it is posthumously. "Bo wishes that he had told Nora that he forgives her [before the explosion)," Woods explain. "So now he truly does forgive her for sleeping with Sam [and lying about the pregnancy). In fact, she becomes a religious icon to him. And since Nora asked him to forgive Lindsay," He adds, "he's able to do that too."
Despite Bo's pardon of all who have wronged him -- "He even tries to smooth everything over with R. J. ," Woods marvels -- his compassion doesn't necessarily mean a reconciliation with Lindsay. "Although he truly forgiven Lindsay, he doesn't think that they can work on their relationship. Bo thinks they'll be (better off in the long run as) friends."
While Lindsay and Asa team up and devise a new scheme to help her win Bo's love, Woods maintains that the more suitable sister for Bo is Melanie. "It seems like they have a lot in common. Bo and Melanie each have had relationships that have gone bad."
And they'll soon discover that they discover that they each have experienced the pain of infidelity. "At first, Bo didn't know that Melanie was married," Woods continues. "Actually, he didn't even know she was a surgeon ... he didn't even know her name."
As the mystery of his secret lover begins to unfold, Bo will clash with Colin over Melanie, never realizing that the cocky doc also is Nora's caretaker.
As Bo struggles to make sense of his latest romantic entanglement, Nora slowly will be recovering, thanks to some TLC from Colin. A romance for the pair seems imminent, but Hillary B. Smith (Nora) insists: "I don't know that. But he's very cute isn't he?"
Smith will cop tot he fact of that the introduction of the Drs. MacIvers is yet another fork in the road of Bo and Nora's never-ending story. "The ultimate Bo-and-Nora pairing is what always keeps [fans) coming back," she concludes. "The acceptance of the other [relationships) in hopes that it just brings Bo and Nora back together is what the audience is watching and waiting for."
-Irene Vitale