Let's talk! Dialogue over Derringers

I think holster sales must be up in Port Charles, because two Fridays have come and gone, and we haven't seen the typical gun-battle Friday cliffhangers we've become accustomed to on General Hospital.

I think holster sales must be up in Port Charles, because two Fridays have come and gone, and we haven't seen the typical gun-battle Friday cliffhangers we've become accustomed to on General Hospital.

Can I get an Amen?

Before you get upset and call the NRA for the lack of gun slinging, let's please give peace a chance. I was utterly shocked this week at the deep conversations taking place all over town. This is GH, after all, where folks are more comfortable firing off a round, than sitting down to discuss their feelings. But there it was. Instead of threatening each other with one-way trips to the Pine Barrens, folks were having deep conversations, about past mistakes, addiction, future plans, feelings (gulp), and trust: From Alexis and Carly's revealing argument, to Kristina calling out Michael for wanting to follow in Sonny's footsteps, to Lulu and Lucky and Dante's disagreement about trust, to a heart-warming, yet tense, scene with Edward and Michael.

I don't know about you, but I'll take dialogue over Derringers any day, especially when the conversations were as powerful as they were this week. Alexis and Carly's exchange was the top of the crop. It wasn't two women simply fighting about a man or bickering just to bicker, as we often see. It was two women, in pain, reeling from the alleged death of their ex-husband, examining their own guilt and their history with the town mobster. Laura Wright and Nancy Lee Grahn killed it -- without using guns -- only words: truthful, hurtful, hard-to-hear words.

Alexis confessed her guilt for not standing by Jax in the custody battle and railed against Carly for asking Alexis to help cut Sonny out of Morgan's life. Carly admitted she was wrong for her part in Jax's downfall. Alexis admitted she was wrong for backing out of the custody case and blamed Carly for riling up Sonny. And despite Carly's protestations that she didn't want Sonny to hurt Jax, Alexis was steadfast in not letting Carly off the hook. "You are guilty; live with it!" she seethed. Ouch! The look on Carly's face made it seem like she'd just taken a bullet to the heart.

The conversation didn't end there. Softly, Alexis told Carly she was never worthy of Jax and that Carly always defended Sonny regardless of the situation. As a finale, Alexis threw out the fact that Carly cheated on Jax with Sonny. With tears brimming in Carly's eyes, she didn't resort to screaming either. She went for Alexis' jugular, quietly stating, "You always loved Jax...you never got over your pretend marriage to Jax." It was then Alexis' turn to look like the walking wounded.

These women didn't scream at one another. They barely raised their voices. They didn't raise a weapon, either, unless you count their verbal combat as a weapon. But what a wallop this fight packed. Each woman was deeply in pain and angry with themselves and one another. This was one of the best scenes I've seen on daytime in ages.

Under the previous writing regime, which I will not mention (cough, cough), the anti-heroes and heroines of this show were rarely criticized or questioned, and we never saw conversations like the aforementioned take place. Welcome to the new General Hospital, Scoopers, where characters are wonderfully flawed, and other characters not only notice, but actually point it out, without being made to look like fools. It makes me so ecstatic; I want to fire off a few rounds myself. Meanwhile:

If you live in the part of the country where I do, where storms, flooding, and Mother Nature's fury let loose, you probably had a hard time catching GH this week. Thanks to Soapnet and our very own recappers, I was able to catch the three days of interrupted GH that I missed. If you missed it, too, check out the Daily Recaps section here.

I loved the Lucky/Lulu/Dante scenes this week. Again, we had real raw conversations, with too-close-to-the-truth barbs that often stung. Lulu was convinced her addict brother was using again, despite his declarations that he wasn't. And although I cannot defend Lulu's behavior toward Lucky and Dante, she was right that Lucky is back on pills. But Lucky was spot-on with this question, "Why is it you have no problem giving Dad the benefit of the doubt, even after he killed my kid while driving drunk, but for some reason, you can't do the same for me, can you?" Good question, Lucky. I'd like to know the answer to that myself. Lulu then turned her anger toward Dante, when he refused to take Lucky off the case, tossing out the fact that Dante had no problem bending rules in the past, to fit his own purposes. There were no happy endings here, as Lucky stormed out, telling Lulu to look after his son, "Better he's with you than the druggie." "Your words, not mine," Lulu retorted, while telling Lucky she was disappointed in him. He fired back with a, "Go to hell." Ouch.

Poor Kristina. As if her dizziness, chronic neck pain, and family fights weren't enough of a problem this week, she then collapsed on the docks, just as mob boss Anthony walked by. I know many of you think her leukemia may be back. That's possible and would certainly give the Davis family some incredible story to play. It could also be an old injury from her beatings. I may be alone here, but whatever Kristina's problems, I hope Ethan is involved. I don't care if they are friends or more, but these two have undeniable chemistry.

In recent years, Sam had become one of those characters I never really liked. She came on as con artist; jumped into bed with Sonny, Jax, Jason, and Lucky; played a role in the kidnapping of Jake; and then seemed to become a mob moll. I didn't feel a connection with this character. But I have to admit, her scenes with Jason the last couple weeks have been great. Taking on the Quartermaines at the hospital, standing by her man, trying to help Spinelli, and quietly fearing the worst as Jason underwent surgery, have shown the softer side of this tough gal. Maybe I just never got to know Sam...

Speaking of Spinelli, was anyone waiting for him to lean in and kiss Jason in that emotional hospital scene? I know the scene had a serious tone, but it was clear how much love Spinelli has for Jason. Those two have a bromance as big as Sonny and Jason ever had.

Hooray for the Tracy and Lulu talk this week. I'm so glad to see Lulu finally getting some motherly advice.

It was great to see Sonny acting like a mob boss again. Jason has been running things so long, I think that it has undermined Sonny's position. Some days I actually forget that Sonny is one of the bad guys, so it was nice to see him hinting at killing Anthony's beloved orchids this week. No one delivers a threat like Sonny.

It sure is a shame that Johnny is wandering around lonely these days. Even Skye didn't bite on that delicious sandwich. What a waste to have Johnny tied up in bed with a strawberry in his mouth. I miss Johnny and Olivia, and Johnny and Lulu. Johnny needs some loving and to start playing that piano again. Do you think Abby should be his new muse? I'll volunteer if no one else in town seems to fit the bill.

I don't think Michael and Abby are going to make it. She seems way too mature for him lately. Think I'm kidding? Here's the evidence from Abby's very own mouth, in this question to Michael, "So your idea of a real job is running illegal shipments and working your way up to killing people?" Ouch.

Abby isn't wrong about Michael's intentions to work for the mob. Michael quickly dissed his job at ELQ to Kristina, calling it a "place holder." Sigh. That makes me sad beyond measure. I was hoping at least one of the young Quartermaines on the canvas would actually work with the Quartermaines, instead of for the mob. I say let Sonny have Michael, and send Jason over to ELQ. Or better yet, let Michael get a taste of prison for killing someone, and then he'll be begging Edward for a job. Oh wait, that's right. Michael did time! I have no explanation as to why he would ever want a job that involves illegal activity. I think Carly should set him up for an MRI. Maybe he has something lodged in his brain, too.

Speaking of Carly, wow, did Laura Wright have a great week. Carly is one of those characters that makes me crazy due to her wild antics, but she can make me feel empathy in any scene she does, and that is a testament to Wright. I know Carly is trying to make things right by sending Morgan to military school as Morgan Benson and keeping him from Sonny, but I can't help but bring up the fact that she's been okay with having Sonny in his life and Michael's life for years. See? She makes me crazy.

The one gal I do want to smack this week is Olivia. She was badmouthing her son for his birthday gift for Lulu and, of course, defending Sonny. Um, if Sonny had shot my son point-blank in the chest, there is no place that mobster could hide.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours? Click the Feedback option at the top of the page, the email link at the end of the column, or just click here to share your thoughts. But not before you check out the Best Lines of the Week and the Reader Spotlight.

(Edward waits patiently with Monica during Jason's surgery and succinctly sums up the loss of the Quartermaine family.) Edward: "Too few of us left to even have a good argument. It's sad because I could use the distraction!"

(Carly tells Alexis they must do something to protect their kids from out-of-control Sonny.) Carly: "I need help."Alexis: "Yes you do."Carly: "With Sonny, Alexis!"

(Maxie catches new Chief-of-Staff Robin being less than cordial.)Maxie: "Is that power going to Robin's head or what? She's acting like the medical version of Kate."

(Johnny chastises Anthony for provoking archenemy Sonny.)Anthony: "What can I say? Corinthos isn't the most stable guy around."Johnny: "This coming from the guy who talks to plants."Anthony: "It's an orchid."

• Since we're revitalizing core families, I have an idea on how to get the Quartermaines back, two words: David Hayward (from All My Children.) Think about it, Robin could have stumbled upon his Project Orpheus, and instead of turning him in, she told him he needed to keep an eye on Port Charles as well, but not to tell her who he had just in case he couldn't save them. He could have been snatching up the Quartermaines after they "died", and taken them to a facility in NY similar to the one he has in PA. Maybe he even grabbed Georgie as a favor to his favorite former step-daughter. After he is finished resurrecting Pine Valley, maybe he can come do the same for Port Charles. ----From Krys

• Normally, in the past, whenever Carly told off Sonny, Jason, or whatever mobster, it was easily something you could just shrug at because you knew Guza was all about the mob and that it was only a matter of time before Carly would kiss and make up with them. But since this most recent telling off was done under a new writer, I'm actually taking it a bit more seriously and am curious to see how long it actually lasts since Garin has shown he's more about family than violence. ---From David