Inside Soaps' Bold Suicide Storyline

• May 14, 2008 05:48 PM ET
• by TV Guide News

As a rule, soaps stay the hell away from suicide. But CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful went there on April 28, when Storm Logan (William deVry) blew his brains out so his heart could be donated to his dying sister, Katie (Heather Tom). "It was a hard decision, but the aftermath of Storm's death is some of the finest work we've ever done," says B&B exec producer Brad Bell. "It's a decision I don't regret."

While Storm's other siblings consider his actions heroic, Katie doesn't. "She's furious that he sacrificed his life for her," Tom says. "They wrote an incredible fantasy scene [airing May 14] where Katie actually confronts Storm. Usually, when the living talk to the dead on soaps, it's touchy-feely. This is a big, horrible argument."

One Life to Live dealt with suicide in 2003, when Keri (Sherri Saum) leapt from a high-rise, but this was only revealed in court well after her death. B&B hit it head-on, and this worried Tom. "It's dangerous to find any glory or honor in suicide, but the writers have allowed it to be ugly," she says. "They gave it the weight it deserves."

Word is, Katie's emotional speech at the memorial service (airing May 15) - during which she undoes her blouse and shows her massive scar - could bring Tom another Emmy. The stellar actress already has two, out of a staggering 12 nominations. - Michael Logan