1992
Attorney Nora arrived in Llanview after enduring much drama in Chicago: She and her ex-husband, Hank, also a lawyer, were estranged because she got full custody of their daughter, Rachel, after their divorce. Over time, Nora, Hank and Bo became friends, but when Hank arrived, he and Nora butted heads. Upon coming to Llanview, Nora helped Bo search for the hit-and-run driver who had killed his wife, Sarah. For a while, Nora thought she might have been responsible, but a drunk driver was guilty of the crime. Bo and Nora soon got engaged. “When Nora came on, she was a broad character,” recalls Smith. “She was a ballbuster … she and Bo did not get along. Bo softened her. It’s time that she get back into that. She is much softer than she used to be, and that makes her wishy-washy. I want more hardness.”
1993-94
Nora defended Todd and his frat brothers in Marty Saybrooke’s rape trial, working against Hank. When she learned that they were indeed guilty, she threw the trial. That year, Nora suffered a brain tumor and went temporarily blind. During that time, Todd tried to get revenge by attempting to rape her. Nora hit him over the head with a lamp, and she was eventually rescued by Bo. “It’s time to start seeing the heroic elements in the characters,” Smith opines. “When Nora had the brain tumor … realizing that she went blind … the court case … these were heroic moments. Even in that court case, she thought that she was so good, she overlooked the fact that these guys had done it. Then, she tried to correct it and couldn’t. There were heroic moments. I’d like to see that again.”
1995
At Hank and Sheila’s wedding, R.J. revealed that he had slept with Nora while she was still married to Hank! Still, R.J. helped Hank and Nora stage an intervention for Rachel, who was battling a drug problem. Bo and Nora eventually tied the knot in a rock ‘n’ roll wedding — with Little Richard officiating. “Bo and Nora were great – we were together for years, but they didn’t really write us,” sighs Smith. “They wrote the badge, they wrote the lawyer, but they didn’t really write us together. It wasn’t as exciting as it could’ve been.” Still, “working with Bob Woods [Bo] has always been wonderful,” she praises.
1998-99
Bo and Nora’s marriage was in trouble when Nora’s assistant, Georgie, developed an obsession with him. Georgie was eventually killed by Nora’s daughter, Rachel. Bo’s son, Drew, was then killed. Wanting to give Bo a reason to live, Nora slept with former colleague Sam (since she believed that Bo was infertile). Bo learned the truth when Sam’s ex-wife — and Nora’s archrival — Lindsay, drunkenly announced the truth. Bo then moved out. “I’ve seen some posts from fans who think Bo and Nora are past their prime,” acknowledges Smith. “When they broke us up, it was really good story in the beginning, with Georgie. Then, it got kind of twisted and turned.”
