| Outstanding Performer of the Week of July 8th GL put Reva on the line by turning her into Dr. Kevorkian, and Kim Zimmer didn't help win her any sympathy. Well aware that this story "could put the final nail in Reva's coffin" (her words, not ours), gutsy Zimmer nevertheless played Springfield's most beloved heroine as a calculated killer when Reva turned off Richard's ventilator. Not that Reva wasn't tormented by the decision she'd made to grant Richard's last wish. The agony never left Zimmer's face as she grappled with playing God. Richard's plea kept playing over and over in her head: "Help me die. Help me die..." Finally, Reva rallied against Richard and God, and Zimmer did what she does best --- act from her gut. But Reva's gut instinct isn't always right, which was made clear in both the writing and the performance. Zimmer played each side of this controversial issue deftly. She showed Reva at her most vulnerable --- the old Reva, a free spirit who makes mistakes and doesn't always use the best judgment. When she flipped the switch, the ramifications of what she had done instantly sank in. Zimmer turned her character into Zombie Reva, paralyzed with guilt and the fear that Cassie would never forgive her. She wandered the hospital corridors, finally ending up at the chapel, where Zimmer had one of her most powerful scenes in years. Reva practically doubled over in pain as she recounted what she had done and, more importantly, why she had done it. Through it all, Zimmer stayed squarely in the gray area. Reva wasn't even convinced herself that she had done the right thing. The performance was risky and raw, which gave it the power it needed to drive --- and keep driving --- this complicated story. |