Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
Two For One: Claire (Hayley Erin, l.) persuades Victoria (Amelia Heinle) and Cole (J. Eddie Peck) to let her get closure with Jordan.
Even as she seeks to figure out what her life looks like now that she knows Jordan lied to her for decades, Claire is still not finished with her great aunt. “Claire wants closure,” declares Hayley Erin (Claire). “When she was in that cabin with Jordan, Claire had this big moment, that I’m sure the eagle-eyed viewers picked up on, when she addressed Jordan as just Jordan, and not Aunt Jordan. The rug has been pulled out from under Claire and she’s seeking closure, so she wants to have a discussion with Jordan about everything that happened.”
After Claire voices her desire to see the incarcerated Jordan to her newfound parents, Victoria and Cole, they promise to consider their daughter’s request. Later, while asleep in her room at the psychiatric ward, Claire has a nightmare that Cole and Victoria react with pain, anger and disappointment over Claire seeing Jordan. “I loved that scene,” enthuses Erin. “I think my favorite scenes I’ve gotten to do on the show was that one and Claire’s dream of berating Nikki in the lake house. Dreams are so fun because you can really just go for it and you’re not tied to the realism of the world, so you get to really just let loose. It’s also a really good glimpse into Claire’s psyche and lets the audience see what’s going on inside of her mind. I think it’s a great tool to understand her as a character and to understand her motivation and her current status.”
Later, Victoria and Cole arrive and Claire is eager to learn if they’ve made up their mind about allowing her to see Jordan. Cole responds that he’s on board with the meeting, but Victoria is still on the fence, out of concern for her daughter. “They’re just like all moms and dads; their parenting styles are different,” Erin points out. “Victoria is being protective and that’s completely foreign to Claire, something she’s never experienced. It definitely doesn’t go unnoticed and even though she sort of fights Victoria on it, it’s something that she cherishes in a way.”
Claire goes into depth about the reason she feels she needs to face Jordan. “She was Claire’s parent for all intents and purposes for 25 years, so they have a lot of history,” explains Erin. “To be betrayed by the person who is supposed to be your confidante and your guiding light, that’s got to be so painful. I can’t imagine it. So the need to tell Jordan how Claire feels is a necessary part of the healing process, to finally let that person know that you see through them and that you know what they’ve done.”
Victoria agrees to support her daughter’s decision — but only under the condition that she be allowed to accompany Claire to the prison facility. However, Claire insists that when faces her aunt, she must do it alone. Notes Erin, “Claire got to unload a little bit on Jordan during very emotionally heightened moments but this is going to be a sit-down meeting to hear Jordan explain herself. This isn’t going to be an in-the-moment situation, full of rage and fury. It’s about laying out all of the facts — and getting answers.”
