Gregory Richards doesn't exactly wear his heart on his sleeve. He's a steely-eyed, ruthless manipulator who recently proved he isn't above murder to get what he wants. So when Gregory broke down in the darkened grotto with his daughter Caitlin, it was surprising. In the hands of Sam Behrens, in fact, it was downright astonishing.

Behrens is a hugely talented actor who handles his character with such sharp-edged finesse, we can?t help but be drawn to him. Sure, he's cruel, but Benhrens plays them with a wink, so we're always entertained.

The dialogue Behrens had when Gregory confessed to Caitlin that he'd killed Francesca was far from sub-par, however. Caitlin had almost paid dearly for the crime that her father had committeted, and the look of pain and shock that Caitlin flashed him wounded Gregory to the core. He begged his daughter for forgiveness. "Caitlin, I love you," he cried. "I love you more than I love anything in the world - I did it because I love you!"

As Gregory tried desperately to convince Caitlin to flee the country with him, we saw how completely this one-time control freak had lost touch with reality. "I won't do without you, Caitlin," he insisted. "I won't - I can't. Come with me. Come with me, Caitlin!"

Behrens has contributed more to BEACH than a comppelling character. The power he brings to the role makes us understand why the people in Gregory's orbit put up with as much as they did; why Olivia clung for so long to their marriage, why his children couldn't forsake him, why Annie was desperate to have him. And what's more valuable to a soap than a character we'll follow anywhere?