Favorite Fictional Character --- Victoria Lord

It was bad enough that I had to say goodbye to All My Children late last year, now I'm being asked to say goodbye to the only other soap opera I watch, One Life to Live.  It will air it's last episode on the 13th.  What really ticks me off is that because the production company that bought the rights to both shows has decided to not create online versions of them, I'm going to be left with two shows that end with huge cliffhangers.  Cliffhangers that will never be resolved.  I'm digressing right now, I don't want this post to turn into a diatribe about how unfair life is.  Instead I'm going to highlight some of my favorite characters, characters that I'm going to miss dearly once this month is over.

There is no way I could start off a month of One Life to Live characters and not start with Victoria Lord.  Played by the beautiful Erika Slezak since 1971, Viki is the heart and soul of a show that revolved around the machinations of her family, almost since the beginning.  Victoria Lord Gordon Riley Burke Buchanan Carpenter Davidson Banks is in a class all her own.

Raised by a villainous publisher who molested her as a child, Viki tried everything she could to get out of underneath the thumb of her father.  Her ordeal of what her father did to her, her repressed memories of finding him in bed with her best friend (which produced two half siblings), and all the frequent strains in her life cause Viki to develop split personality disorder.  At last count she has had 6 personalities emerge at different times.  For the most part Viki is fully integrated, but every once in a while, when things seem to being falling apart all around her, one of the more dominate personalities will come out.  They, while protecting parts of her, always seem to get her into trouble.  The character's ability to deal with the aftermath of their actions, never failed to amaze me.  The fact that anyone can wrap their mind around and accept actions their bodies performed, but had no control over, is amazing to me.  I'm in awe of the strength of will that would have to take.

Through the years Viki has had numerous triumphs in life.  She has had five children and numerous grandchildren.  She has been blessed with deep and abiding loves in her life.  Loves that at times, as a viewer, took my breath away.  She has been mayor of her city, sat on the boards of the hospital and various charities, been dean of the local university, and has run a successful newspaper for years.  

She has also suffered losses that would bring most mortals to their knees.  She has been widowed three times, lost one daughter to lupus, lost four grandchildren, and has had three of her five siblings die violent deaths.  She has also survived breast cancer, a stroke, a heart transplant, and being shot.  No matter what else you say about her, she is a true survivor.