Best TV Couple #7: Tammy Layne Winslow & Jonathan Randall

One of Springfield, Illinois's biggest taboos-- Jonathan and Tammy fought hard to be together.

With the elicit pairing of cousins Tammy Layne Winslow and Jonathan Randall, short-lived Guiding Light had something daring yet special. Their young forbidden love built from an angry, rebellious teen seeking revenge on the mother that had abandoned him and the one person who could blow out the fuse raging inside.

Jonathan's mission to destroy Reva Shayne and the rest of her goodie family backfired. First, he cruelly seduced Tammy, masquerading as "J.B.," a sweet talking motorcycle riding drug dealer. With him, Tammy was shooting pool, drinking beers, and inviting the tall, handsome stranger over for heavy make out sessions. After Tammy loses her virginity to him, her mother Cassie bursts inside the hotel room and tells her all about J.B. and Jonathan Randall. Tammy, completely crushed to have been deceived, confronts the resident bad boy. At every turn, he taunts and intimidates her, making her feel utterly worthless.

Guilt stricken Reva forces Jonathan to spend time with her, get to know her inside and out. In the meantime, Alfred Randall, his abusive adopted father sweeps into town, planting seeds of doubt into Jonathan, belittling him and shattering his dwindled self esteem. Alfred goes by Nate and uses maneuvers that Jonathan inflicts on Tammy-- that the more powerful aggressor uses shame to make the weaker stay mentally, emotionally, and physically defenseless and under their thumb.

Jonathan ushers Tammy onto his motorcycle. They head towards her reception where they have the most fun ever.

Tammy starts dating Sandy (the guy who posed as Reva's long lost son and left Jonathan for dead on a cliff). She and Jonathan grow close. They are neighbors. When Tammy's room is on fire, Jonathan bursts in and saves her life, receiving burns in the process. He scoffs at her thankfulness, but is obviously touched by her gesture.

Once everyone discovers that Nate is Alfred, hell breaks loose. Tammy is kidnapped and Jonathan exchanges his life for hers. Nate pushes him inti the water and Tammy dives in, saving him from drowning-- the same fate his adopted mother had suffered.

In addition to having three songs that define their transition (Kaci Brown's "Unbelievable," Marc Broussard's "Hope For Me Yet," and Brian Siewert's "Can You Love Me (With the Lights On)"), the locket exchange is a wonderful touch. Tammy often wears a gold, heart shaped locket that was gifted from her adopted father, Richard Winslow (Jonathan's biological father). She gives it to Jonathan to remind him that he has a good heart. He gives it back, having carried it around with him. Over time, she leaves it again for him.

By fall, Sandy and Tammy are engaged. Yet, she has strong residual feelings for Jonathan, often fingering the gold locket, yearning for the taboo through flashbacks and pure romanticist imagination. Jonathan inherits Outskirts Bar from Nate. As he plans to burn it down, Tammy enters and forces him to change paths, to prove Nate wrong, and make something of himself.

Tammy loses against temptation, confessing her feelings to Jonathan in the barn. Their kisses grow hot and heavy. Sandy sees this and gets electrocuted. Tammy, guilty and hurt, makes a promise to stay committed to Sandy, breaking Jonathan's heart to smithereens. Still, he doesn't let up, knowing that they're meant to be together.

Through it all, after a disastrous wedding that shouldn't have happened, Jonathan and Tammy become a couple, battling perception of the people, their respective families (especially hypocritical Cassie), crazed Sandy, and paint the town red. They have faced so much-- Jonathan's past and Tammy's shame.

They didn't have much, but love was more than enough.

The last year was tough. After Tammy dumps Jonathan for having known about Sandy's marriage, Jonathan has a drunken one night stand with spoiled, rotten Lizzie Spaulding, broke Tammy's heart again once discovering that he fathered Lizzie's baby, and endlessly had to deal with Alan Spaulding (Lizzie's overbearing, arrogant monster of a grandfather). At the Beacon, Jonathan and Tammy then lived with Lizzie (who suddenly developed feelings for Jonathan and sabotaged them), Jonathan soon married Lizzie and moved in with her alone. Though they were still seeing each other on the sly, Tammy sadly seemed like the other woman. Eventually, they broke it off-- Jonathan wanting to make it work with Lizzie and their baby Sarah and Tammy needing to move on with him.

However, during the Shayne-Lewis Christmas party, Tammy and Jonathan rekindled their flames inside the beloved barn and continued trysts.

Eventually, Jonathan divorces Lizzie and proposes to Tammy-- his one true love. They have a small intimate wedding. Cassie acts as witness, having finally accepting Jonathan and Tammy's relationship at last. Their night is a beautiful montage of love, the final shot resting on their euphoric sleeping faces and clasped wedding rings, a symbolic journey drawing to tender close.

Jealous Lizzie wasn't going to stand for it. She plotted with Alan to destroy them, setting up Jonathan to meet her and arranging sweet revenge. Tammy got wind of the danger and headed straight to the location. As Jonathan waited for Lizzie, a car plowed towards him. Suddenly, Tammy rushed forth out of nowhere and took the fatal hit.

Jonathan and Tammy's compelling love story wouldn't have been possible without the raw, cataclysmic chemistry between their portrayers, Tom Pelphrey and Stephanie Gatschet. They vividly conveyed expressions of young hope and rebellion. The artistry of their body language (eye looks, hand touches, kisses, etc) revealed significant sorrow, love, affection, and acceptance-- all the facets of Jonathan and Tammy's incredibly tragic romance.