Markko Rivera

Markko Rivera
One Life to Live character
Portrayed by	Jason Tam
Duration	2007–12
First appearance	May 21, 2007 (May 21, 2007)
Last appearance	January 13, 2012 (January 13, 2012)
Created by	Dena Higley
Introduced by	Frank Valentini
Classification	Final, regular
Profile
Other names	Geraldo Rivera
Occupation	Student (Junior) at UCLA Director
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Family Parents Aurelia Rivera Ernesto Rivera

Markko Rivera is a fictional character from ABC's daytime drama One Life to Live, portrayed by Jason Tam since May 21, 2007.^[1] Tam last aired as Markko on November 10, 2010, when he left town to continue studying at UCLA. He returned on April 11 and 12, 2011, to coincide with Langston's exit and on July 28 and 29, 2011, for his Vicker Man film premiere. He made an appearance during the final episode of the show on January 13, 2012.

Storylines

Markko appears in the gym of Llanview High School during tryouts for the school musical. Immediately annoyed by Markko, Langston Wilde challenges him to tryout, to which he does, and gets a part. During the prom, English teacher Marcie McBain gets ahead of herself, and announces Markko and Langston as king and queen of the dance. After prom night, Markko and Langston begin dating one another.

A few months into their relationship, Markko becomes concerned about the constant absence of Langston's parents. Sensing that something is not right, Dorian Lord hires private investigator Rex Balsom to dig up information on Langston. Dorian learns that Langston has been orphaned and living on her own for over a year. Langston cannot believe that Dorian (great-aunt of Langston's best friend, Starr Manning) would pry into private information regarding her life. During a conversation at school, Langston talks with Starr about her parents' death, and they are overheard by fellow student Britney Jennings. Britney contacts Social Services, and Langston is horrified whenever she is placed in foster care. Starr's mother, Blair Cramer, is all set to become Langston's foster mother whenever she is called out of town. In turn, Dorian chooses to become Langston's guardian. After things are official, Langston moves into Dorian's home and happily continues her relationship with Markko.

After Starr becomes pregnant with Markko's best friend Cole's baby, she decides to have an abortion before Cole and her family learns about her pregnancy. At the last moment, Langston gives Cole the address to where Starr is. After convincing her to take the time to make the right decision, Cole and Starr return to Llanview. Cole soon makes plans to run away with Starr, and with Markko's help, they run off to Virginia Beach. Dorian finds Langston hiding a pregnancy book and suspects that she is pregnant. Markko confirms Dorian's claims, but the truth about Starr soon comes out, leaving Markko off the hook.

Markko and Langston have happiness, and over the next several months, they continuously help Cole and Starr through their various issues. Eventually, problems crop up for the two when Ray Montez, Langston's biological uncle, arrives in town. Ray was hired by Clint Buchanan to take Langston from Dorian, in a ploy to get Dorian to sign Clint's company Buchanan Enterprises back over to him. Ray gets custody of Langston and prepares to leave the country with her, but suddenly, his wife Vanessa Montez arrives and shoots him. He is taken back to prison, allowing Markko and Langston to stay together.

Lola Montez, Ray's daughter, also arrives in Llanview with stepmother Vanessa. She tries to develop a bond with Langston, but unknown to both Markko and Langston, Lola secretly pines for Markko, and during a dance at Llanview High, Lola and Markko kiss. Markko eventually tells Langston, and the two see Lola's true colors, shunning her. Lola then vows revenge.

Markko and Langston decide to finally have sex on Prom Night, but because of what happened with Starr and Cole, the couple carefully plan it for weeks. Markko also runs into problems when a friend of his mother works at the pharmacy, and he runs into her while trying to buy condoms; he gets Cole to buy them for him. Lola tries several times to stop Markko and Langston, even poking holes in the condoms that Dorian gave Langston, but after Markko and Cole get condoms at the pharmacy, their plans to have sex succeed.

Markko's parents, Aurelia and Ernesto Rivera, are introduced on June 12, 2009.^[2] That same day, Markko graduated from Llanview High the valedictorian and secretly has plans to attend medical school.

Ray decides to return to Columbia and take Lola with him, which upsets Dorian so much that she gets drunk at Markko and Langston's graduation, and in her inebriated state, reveals to Markko's parents that Markko and Langston had sex on prom night; she also fires bodyguard Shawn Evans and takes back her estate, La Boulaie, which she had previously signed over to Moe and Noelle Stubbs, and evicts them. As a result, Ernesto, who has an extensive knowledge of Dorian's history over the years, believes that she is a bad influence on Markko and forbids him from seeing Langston. After refusing to stop see Langston, Ernesto disowns him on July 22, 2009, at Viki's home in front of Langston. Ernesto drops off Markko's stuff, including his baby stuff. Langston promises to be there for him.

In 2010, Markko, Cole, Starr, and Langston move into an apartment together. Markko and Langston's relationship is tested when Robert Ford, a sexy new Teacher's Assistant at Llanview University, begins attempting to seduce Langston. Though she initially rebuffs his advances, she soon succumbs to their attraction and the two embark upon an affair. Through a series of clues, Markko finally learns of their affair and finds Langston and Ford in an embrace after her senior prom. Markko then leaves Langston.

Markko is now on his way to UCLA for a scholarship. He leaves with a girl named Karen, who had an affair with Robert Ford at the same time Robert Ford was having an affair with Langhston Wilde, Markko's former girlfriend. Karen went to California with Markko because she was tired of being the Pizza girl and wanted a different life. The two leave sometime in July 2010.

Markko returns to Llanview in September 2010. He runs into Langston and informs her that he is only in town because his father is having surgery. He also reveals that he and Karen have begun seeing each other. Two months later, Markko leaves Llanview again when he decides to continue studying at UCLA for film school.

Markko returned on April 11 and 12, 2011, to invite Langston to move back to Los Angeles with him to assist him with the new David Vickers film. At the end, they are shown looking through an old scrapbook before leaving for Los Angeles. It is implied that Markko and Langston may have rekindled their romance upon leaving Llanview.

Markko briefly returns to Llanview on July 28, 2011, to attend the film premiere of Vicker Man. He served as director and it stars David Vickers in the title role as himself. It is revealed that he and Langston are indeed back together, and they are very successful with their careers.

References