The character of Schuyler Joplin went to prison on One Life to Live for kidnapping his former girlfriend, Gigi and shooting Bo Buchanan. Scott Clifton, who is best known as General Hospital’s Dillon, played the part of recovering drug addict, who had a lot of demons.
When Schuyler was introduced it was as Mr. J, a science teacher at Llanview High. He had a lot in common with teenage student Starr Manning as they had both suffered a great loss. Schuyler’s mom (Dr. Leah Joplin) had committed suicide in the aftermath of the death of Starr’s daughter. Leah, an obstetrician had been blackmailed into helping Todd Manning as Schuyler had stolen drugs from the hospital (before we had met Dr. Joplin or Schuyler). At this point, everyone believed Starr’s daughter had died, but she’d been swapped with Jessica’s dead baby Chloe. When Schuyler and Starr met, they were both reeling. Starr and her baby’s father Cole had broken up and she felt alone. The two became friends, but Starr misinterpreted Schuyler’s feelings. Schuyler had discovered his mother’s part in the “death” of Starr’s baby. Starr kissed Schuyler at school, which caused a lot of heartache. Schuyler was relieved of his teaching duties, and had to find a new career. After losing his job, she went to his apartment and found him in a towel. He got upset at her seduction attempt, and threw her out before anything else happened. Todd hated Schuyler and called him a pedophile for what happened with Starr.
Schuyler then started working at a rehab, and decided to go back to medical school to become a doctor as his mother was. He had been in medical school in the past, but his drug addiction made it impossible for him to continue. Finally things were going his way, and he was able to move on with his life and career. His former girlfriend Stacy Morasco came back to town, and the two spent time together. She wasn’t over her schoolgirl crush on Rex Balsom. There were things with Stacy’s sister Gigi, her son Shane having leukemia and bags of blood. This is something I like to forget, so I am going to ignore it except to say that it didn’t make much sense and it is during that time Gigi and Schuyler began to spend time together. Eventually Schuyler developed feelings for Gigi, as she was dealing with Rex impregnating her sister Stacy. To make money for school, Schuyler also worked at Rodi’s bar with Gigi. Schuyler spent Halloween together with Later he moved in with his platonic friend Rachel Gannon. Rachel like Schuyler is a recovering addict, and the two interacted as counselors at the rehab.
After miscarrying Stacy drugged Schuyler and made him believe they had been sexually intimate. This development is what caused Schuyler’s downfall. Stacy used Schuyler’s feelings for Gigi against him. Kim, Stacy’s best friend went out with Schuyler, but nothing happened between them. Gigi and Schuyler spent Halloween together with Shane and one a costume contest. Schuyler lied to protect his burgeoning relationship with Gigi, and did not tell Gigi what Stacy was doing. Gigi and Rex had broken up over Stacy, and Schuyler did not want the same thing to happen to him. Schuyler and Gigi became intimate at Viki’s cabin in the woods on New Year’s Eve.
Before her death, Stacy blackmailed Schuyler into stealing drugs for her at the hospital. While he took the medicine, he did not use it to induce labor. Later he was exonerated for this action. Schuyler admitted to Rex and everyone that he was the father of Stacy’s baby Sierra Rose. He got temporary custody of the child upon Stacy’s death. This news sent Allison Perkins into action, as she knew Schuyler was Mitch’s child and if the baby was Schuyler’s she would be the chosen one.
Schuyler lost his identity and everyone that he cared about. Gigi broke up with him once she found out about Schuyler and Stacy being intimate and his lies about Sierra Rose. After nearly killing Mitch, he found out that the cult leader was his biological father and Roxy Balsom was his mother. At birth, he was very sick, and it was thought he would die. Roxy as an alcoholic didn’t take care of herself throughout her pregnancy. Allison Perkins swapped Roxy’s child with an anonymous baby boy who had been born the same day, which ended up being Rex. So Rex became Schuyler, as Leah Joplin took in the boy she believed was her sister Allison's child. DNA tests were done to prove this was the case. The same was done to prove that Sierra Rose was not his child, but that of Oliver Fish. In an act of desperation, Schuyler kidnapped Gigi to attempt for her to stay with him. In a standoff, he shot Bo Buchanan who stepped in front of a bullet meant for Rex. Other than his lawyer Tea, no one seemed to be on his side as Rachel had left town. What surprised Schuyler the most was finding out that Roxy would stand by him even after all the pain he caused Rex, Gigi and their son Shane. Prior to finding out about their biological connection, Roxy loathed Schuyler for hurting her son’s family.
Schuyler pleads guilty to the crimes he committed as he kidnapped Gigi and shot Police Commissioner, Bo. Tea had wanted him the case to go to trial, as he had to have been insane to act in that manner. Before going to prison, Schuyler gave up his fight for Sierra Rose. On his way out, he admitted that he never had a chance with Gigi as she was all about Rex. Roxy stayed with Schuyler until he went to Statesville to serve his sentence.
The irony of Schuyler’s downfall is that if he had been raised as Rex Balsom and not Schuyler Joplin, he may have had the life of his dreams. While he may have had his addictive tendencies, Roxy may have given him to be raised by her sister-in-law Corinne in Michigan. Gigi would have met him first in high school. Perhaps they would have fallen in love and had a wonderfully happy life together.
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