Deas played the prevailing emotion -- complete devastation -- to the max in three consecutive episodes, yet he still gave three very different, dynamic performances.  When Jenna dies in Buzz's arms, Deas played him at his most desperate and helpless.  Buzz,  cradling Jenna beside the smoking car, cried out for help; what  made his wails so moving and haunting was that Buzz already knew  the outcome.  Soap characters seemingly lose loved ones every day, but thanks to Deas' realistic interpretation, death never stung so much.

In the next episode, Buzz, in a state of shock, sat by the lake.  The look on Deas' face was so empty.  It was a one man show for  most of he hour, and Deas never went over the top.  Buzz didn't  cry much; instead, he simply stared at the water, because sometimes, that's all one can do in the face of such soul searing pain.

At the end of the episode, Jenna appeared to Buzz for a final farewell.  Fiona Hutchison looked radiant, a stark contrast to Deas.  It was a magical moment between the characters -- and the actors -- as Jenna tried to comfort Buzz and give him the will to go on.  In the end, Jenna cradled a childlike Buzz in her lap. It was a terribly sad and moving picture.

In the weeks final episode, Buzz became irrational, even more  lost, pumped up on adrenaline and half mad with pain.  He ran  into the diner and, dripping with sweat (some actors can cry on cue, Deas can even sweat on cue!), announced he was taking the boys sailing around the world.  Selena, the one woman who is man enough to handle him, locked Buzz in the kitchen and told him he couldn't run this time.  Deas broke down again, and this time cried in Selena's lap.  Buzz looked exhausted, and so were we.  Deas had just taken us on a wild emotional ride.*

(Mark McGarry, SPW 1/5/99)