Ship of Dreams

Was there ever a more star-crossed pair of lovers in the history of Soapdom than Steven Earl “Patch” Johnson and Kayla Caroline Brady?  Over the course of five years, these two met crisis after crisis head-on, dealing with everything from rapes, murders, assaults, stabbings, jewel thefts, marriages, divorces, long-lost relatives, organ donations, adoption and pregnancy, even deafness.  And they did it all while earning legions of fans that followed the couple for decades, to other soaps and shows and projects and personal appearances.  Their long-awaited wedding sent Days of our Lives to number one in the Nielsen ratings back in 1988 for what would be the final time.  Their union and chemistry have proven unbreakable by long-distance separation, prison cells, kidnappings, and even death.

Initially presented as a villain, Patch was the one-time best friend of Kayla’s younger brother, Bo, who was responsible for the removal of Steve’s eye and thus the subject of a revenge plot that culminated in a wildly-popular remote sequence filmed in Miami.  This renegade and wildcard seemed the most unlikely romantic lead imaginable for Kayla, the sweet younger sister of Detective Roman Brady (initially Wayne Northrop, later Drake Hogestyn), a woman whose caring and compassion were perfectly suited to her career as a nurse.  While she was initially wary of the roguish young man who made his way to Salem, his charms and mullet ultimately proved too much for her to resist, and within a year of meeting they took off on one soapy adventure after another.  Their travels would take them to Stockholm in search of jewels, a journey that cemented the early stages of their romance.  But Steve was always getting himself

into one jam or another, and on the night they shared their first kiss, he was stabbed down at the Salem pier (a dark, dangerous place that seems to have been wiped from the show’s canvas).

By the time their wedding day arrived, S&K had dealt with all manner of delicious soapy complications:  the arrival of his long-lost sister Adrienne and parents Duke and Jo Johnson (not exactly Ward and June Cleaver); the arrival of Senator Harper Deveraux, his wretched wife Angelica, and son Jack (née Billy Johnson), who would soon form side three of the Steve-Kayla love triangle; Steve being hired to shoot Harper, only to be betrayed and having to go on the run with Kayla, Adrienne, and Justin Kiriakis (a storyline worth its own blog); Kayla marrying Jack and being poisoned by Harper; and Kayla being attacked by the Riverfront Knifer and coming down with a case of hysterical deafness, inspiring Steve to learn sign-language in an incredibly poignant story so that he could communicate with his Sweetness.  Along the way there was a lab

explosion, rape, murder, mayhem, a trip to Greece, resolved sexual tension, Victor Kiriakis, Shane and Kimberly, and adultery, along with some incredibly huge, permed 80s hair.  The ever-beautiful Genie Francis as Dr. Diana Colville and Michael T. Weiss’s Dr. Mike Horton were there for the fun too, along with Steve’s childhood pal Dr. Marcus Hunter, played by the late Richard Biggs.

Allow me to set the stage for the day of the wedding:  an old friend of Steve’s from his merchant marine days loaned a yacht for the ceremony, which took place on the Salem waterfront.  And as any soap fan knows, the waterfront always looks much nicer when you see a real blue sky as opposed to a dank, dreary set.  The groom’s attendants included Kayla’s brothers Frankie and Roman, Kayla’s brother-in-law Shane Donovan, Steve’s best friend Marcus, and a very young Max Brady as the ring bearer.  Attending the bride were her sister Kimberly, Steve’s sister Adrienne, Kayla’s former roommate Dr. Diana Colville, and her niece Carrie Brady as the flower girl.  The ship, beautifully decked out with flowers, was a manifestation of Kayla’s dream wedding, and recalled a ceremony she had witnessed as a girl in the harbor near Brady’s Fresh Fish.  The morning of the wedding, Steve watched from afar as his Sweetness utilized sign language to declare her love for both him and the beautiful decorations.  After she departs, Steve comes onto the deck of the boat and thanks God for his good fortune at finding a woman to love him and provide his life with meaning. 

As preparations continue, Steve’s brother-in-law Justin Kiriakis drops by to wish him well, while Calliope tries to enhance Kayla’s makeup.  Kayla is gifted with her mother’s veil to wear for the ceremony.  Everyone has departed the dressing room when Jack arrives.  Kayla indicates to him that while she is unable to talk, she can hear the words spoken by others.  He apologizes for Harper’s attack on her, and recalls their own marriage, but she is less than accepting of his platitudes and contrition.  Jack tells Kayla he realizes that she’s the one thing he can never have.  He seems to be in denial of the fact that she is marrying his brother, even questioning it, but thankfully he departs without inflicting any further harm on his ex-wife.  In the groom’s quarters, Jo tells Steve that she is proud of him; I just wish she would have shown it more often, as Mama Johnson seemed prone to blaming her first-born for everything short of the Holocaust. 

On deck, we get to glimpse the beloved Dr. Tom and Alice Horton, as well as their granddaughter Jennifer.  Soon Mickey and Maggie and their daughter Melissa arrive.  Kayla thanks Kimberly for giving her the gift of communication, and tells her that no matter what happens with her voice, she and Steve can communicate their love through emotions far deeper than just words.

The wedding procession begins, with the mother of the groom escorted by Dr. Neil Curtis, and the mother of the bride escorted by Frankie.  Since it was 1988, the wedding march was replete with saxophone.  Kayla was escorted by her father, Shawn. 

“There never was a more beautiful bride” he expounds.  “Take care of her, son.”

“I will,” Steve replies enthusiastically.

Before the actual vows take place, we are treated to the musical stylings of Eddie Maine—er, Justin.  Wally Kurth has a nice voice, which he would later put to good use on General Hospital.  During the song, we get to see an assortment of flashbacks from Steve and Kayla’s love story.  The officiant has known Steve since his days as a merchant marine, and recounts how Kayla has brought about dramatic change within his friend.  Steve speaks his vows, then Kimberly vocalizes while Kayla signs hers in return.  As she stands there, seeing love written all over her groom’s face, Kayla regains the ability to verbalize and speaks the remaining vows herself.  Rings are exchanged, as well as self-written vows.  The vows were remarkably heartfelt and romantic—the writers of these episodes are to be commended.  The Johnsons are declared husband and wife, presented to everyone, and Angel Steve—the one with two good eyes—exchanges a thumbs-up with the ecstatic groom before vanishing.  A jealous Jack watched from a hidden spot atop the boat, glowering as his brother married the woman each man had coveted.  Afterward he confesses to Melissa that his entire life is falling apart, and she provides a modicum of comfort despite her misgivings at his sudden, uninvited appearance.

At the reception, Steve and Kayla are greeted by their guests and share their first dance as a married couple.  The couple had several songs throughout the course of their romance—“The Rose”, “The Lady in Red”, “The Woman in Me”—but for this scene their specially-written theme, “If Your Heart Comes out Tonight”, was played.  Marcus toasted the couple, as did Roman; he also read a telegram sent by Bo and Hope, who at that time were still sailing around the world with infant Shawn-Douglas.  As darkness fell, the couples danced to the strains of “When I Fall in Love”.  The bride and groom then carved the cake and fed pieces to each other.  The bouquet was caught by Diana, while Roman captured the garter.  Sadly, their marriage was not to be; Genie Francis departed the following year for contractual reasons, and Roman’s romantic story shifted toward Isabella.  Their pairing proved quite popular in its own right, though.  The reception ended when Steve and Kayla sailed away on a Venetian gondola, sharing their wedding night as romantically as the bride had dreamed it would be.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the presence of Abe Carver, Eve Donovan, Emilio Ramirez, and his sister, April, at the wedding.  The couple also had some special guests—a man whom Steve assisted with various personal problems, as well as some deaf children Kayla had befriended during her recovery.  It appeared as though, in stark contrast to today’s barren soap weddings, that nearly the entire cast was on hand for the wedding, and in the background NBC seemed to have allowed some incredibly lucky fans to watch the festivities.  Taken as a whole, it is easy to see why this couple’s fans remain devoted, even though more than three decades have passed since they first appeared on our screens.

                          Photo:  NBC Daytime/Sony

                         Photo:  NBC Daytime/Sony