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Fans who have been faithfully watching General Hospital for years are used to change, such as the recasting of an actor. That doesn’t mean they approve of a character though. Just get them talking about Brook Lynn. 

That role was very recently recast with its third actor, Amanda Setton, but soap opera fans are split as to whether their grievances with Brook Lynn are with the writing or with Setton’s portrayal.

Who is Brook Lynn and who has played her? 

Brandon Barash (Johnny) and Adrianne Leon (Brook Lynn)
Brandon Barash (Johnny) and Adrianne Leon (Brook Lynn) | Ron Tom/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

As her name perhaps too obviously indicates, Brook Lynn Quartermaine was named after the New York City borough where her parents had lived, according to the General Hospital Wiki. However, happy times seem to be relatively scarce for the character and her parents, especially considering they had already become estranged by the time their daughter was born. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Brook Lynn has had a rough go of it, with the GH WIki having a specific entry for her called “Crimes Committed.” It’s quite a laundry list, including running away from home, stealing a car, drugging and slapping other characters, and most recently, “Blackmailing Julian Jerome so that if he doesn’t get Linc to let her out of her singing contract with him (Linc), she’ll inform Lucas and Sonny of his (Julian’s) involvement in Wylie-Jonah baby switching.” 

In other words, it’s all in the day of the life of a soap opera character. The role has been played by three performers:  Brooke Radding from 1996 to 2001, Adrianne Leon from 2004 to 2006 and 2010 to 2011, and Setton from 2019 to the present. 

The new Brook Lynn is a ‘One Life to Live’ veteran

Until Setton came along, Brook Lynne had been gone for about eight years. The character was an aspiring singer, so when Leon left the show, Brook was written out with the notion that she went off to pursue her music career. She came back to Port Charles inauspiciously, going to a bar and striking up a conversation with Julian, who offered to pay her for her time, thinking she was a hooker. 

It’s possible that the producers revived Brook because they got a known actress to play her. Setton had previously played Kimberly Andrews on One Life to Live, with her other credits including Hawaii Five-O, where she was Dr. Mindy Shaw,  and Gossip Girl, where she played Penelope Shafai.

When TV Line revealed that Setton was cast as Brook, fans on that site cheered the news, partly because of her name recognition.  One said, “I have always liked this actress.. she should make a good grown-up Brook Lynn.” Another replied, “Glad they are bringing that character back. I remember Amanda from OLTL, she should do well.”

Why do some fans dislike Brook Lynn so much lately? 

Having given the character and Setton a few months now, fans on Reddit aren’t too pleased with how Brook turned out. The topic-starter didn’t blame the actress, however, saying, “I really do not like this spin on the character. Every scene she’s (in)  is fast forward material to me. I know this actress is doing the best she can, but this character & her take on her is just not interesting enough IMO in this already huge cast.”

Another person said Setton’s past role was actually part of the problem. “I just can’t get her One Life to Live character out of my head. Especially with Brody…. I mean Dustin in the picture. Couldn’t stand her money-grubbing character there and can’t stand her way-overgrown-to-be-so-bratty character here.”

Still, Setton/Brook had her defenders, with one saying, “I actually like this version of the character. She is a brat and she is spoiled but I can see her becoming more prominent and mature in the future. I also love the actress tho because I loved her One Life to Live character, Kimberly.”

This just goes to show you can’t please (or displease) everybody.

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