Ghosts from the past

It's funny how a good storyline can make you change the way you feel about a character. That's what happened to our Two Scoops columnist, Liz Masters, when it comes to Ethan. Find out what caused the switch in this week's column!

I absolutely love the delicious new "ghost" story that is unfolding at Wyndemere. I especially enjoy Ethan's involvement in it.

Admittedly, I've never been much of an Ethan fan because, although he is funny at times, he seemed pointless. He is just a younger, darker, hipper version of Luke, who acted more like Luke's sidekick than his son. There was no real substance to Ethan, so he wasn't interesting to me. However, that started to change around the time that everyone decided to stage a long-overdue intervention for Luke. In all that madness, Ethan became the voice of reason that had been willing to keep an open mind and understand each side.

This week, Ethan was charming, interesting, and downright enjoyable to watch. For the first time, I really felt like Ethan and Lucky were brothers, not just two people who happen to share some DNA. Has there ever been a GH character that you didn't care for until a certain storyline came along? I'd be interested in hearing from you. Click here to send me an email.

There were some light moments, such as when Ethan revealed that he'd had an encounter with Helena at Wyndemere, and that she had been looking for something that she had misplaced. Without missing a beat, Lucky asked, "Her soul?" I howled.

I also cracked up at Lucky's reaction when Ethan told him about Helena's attempt to seduce him. I could have sworn I saw a full-body shiver run through Lucky at the thought of his brother falling prey to Helena's seduction.

However, what got to me was the bond that Ethan and Lucky have forged. I really felt it. Ethan asking about Lucky's "epic battle" with his demons (those pesky hydrocodone pills on the floor) showed me that Ethan truly cared about Lucky, and was doing his best to be supportive, while at the same time trying to help his brother stay clean.

Later, I actually got misty-eyed when Lucky confided that he had found an envelope from Siobhan that he hadn't opened, because it would have been like admitting that Siobhan was really dead. I know that feeling, because I went through a similar situation when someone I dearly loved passed away at the beginning of the year. Taking care of her final possessions had been gut-wrenching, so we needed months to muster up the courage and strength to do it.

Ethan's suggestion, that opening the envelope might help Lucky to move forward, was spot-on. As hard as it was for us, it did help. Of course, Siobhan's letter turned out to be strange and creepy because it really seemed like Siobhan knew that she was going to die. I kind of scratched my head as to why she wrote it. Was it because of what had happened to her a few weeks earlier, when she had been given the wrong medication? To refresh your memory, here is what the letter said:

"Darling man, if you're reading this, I'm not in a better place, 'cause I'm not there with you. Something came and stole me from you. But this is not the last of me in your life, as you'll soon see.

"So, I'm leaving you with a wish, my husband...of something I want you to do for me. Be well. Be safe. Be the man of my heart I know you to be...the man of soul who touched me deeper than he can imagine. You can't know what could have been. All you have is now. And every now hereafter, a chance to have love again...a chance to hold your children...and, just maybe, a chance to hear one last thing I need to tell you, beyond what's on this paper...beyond what you ever thought possible.

"There's a place far out Dublin way. A special place...an old place. It's what's left of St. Margaret's Chapel. The only congregation there now is out in the crumbled-down churchyard. The air is braided with the breath from the other side. My grandmother, Pegeen, the one with the sight, she used to recite this poem. 'Half past midnight's moonlight gate, where wildwood violets grow, the shades of stolen children run dancing to and fro. They bear a final message from one who's gone before, slipped on wings of angels that slid 'neath heaven's door.' I know, I know. You're looking at me all crazy now, but we're a crazy lot. And we have faith in things beyond the ken. You listen to me, Lucky Spencer. Listen to me before you put this letter down. I'm offering you a gift...a chance...a chance to hear from someone you love one last time.

"Inside the pack I gave you -- a fine Irish linen handkerchief, embroidered by my grandmother's own hand with wild violets. And tucked inside, a rosary. It belonged to her brother, Clifford, who passed as a child before his time. And third, a bitty cross of rowan wood to get you under the eyes of the wee fold without waking the watchers. It's best you go when the moon is bloat, when them is blinded by the glamour. When you get in the yard, dip the rosary in St. Margaret's well. You'll know it when you see it. And then a message will come. Something...picked up that you should know. You'll have to wait for the signs. They'll come...odd though they may be. I'll see to it. You know I can't stand not having the last word. Till then, darling man...till then."

What does it all mean? Is Lucky bound for Ireland where he will meet Siobhan's identical twin, whom Siobhan had never mentioned, even though she talked about all her other sisters? Or is Siobhan the ghost of Wyndemere who is giving Helena the heebie-jeebies?

I can't decide who I think is haunting that dusty old castle. At first I was certain that it was Luke, but why would he slash Laura's portrait? It just didn't make sense, so I was forced to scratch him off of the list of unusual suspects. The person who took that shard of glass to the painting seemed to hate Laura. There are very few people who feel that way about her. Helena is one of them, but why would she suddenly take her anger out on a painting that she had decades to vandalize?

Helena seemed genuinely frightened, so I asked myself who Helena would fear. The list is even shorter than the handful of people who hated Laura. The person who sprang immediately to mind was Valentine Cassadine. Helena made it very clear, when she first mentioned Mikkos' illegitimate child, that she feared Valentine. You heard it in the way she almost whispered his name, as if saying it aloud would conjure him.

If I recall correctly, Helena revealed that Valentine despised all of the Cassadines, in part because he felt that he was entitled to Mikkos' legacy. I imagine that he wouldn't have the warm fuzzies for the woman who had birthed the true Cassadine heir.

However, I'm not discounting the possibility that Stavros might be back. Helena loved her eldest son, but she also feared him because Stavros was unbalanced. If you recall, he had met his well-deserved end when he plunged down that shaft at General Hospital. They never recovered his body, because it turned out to be a bottomless pit. Stavros was very familiar with the castle, and its tunnels, so it would make sense that he'd head to Spoon Island after he crawled out of that shaft, which was conveniently located close to the lab where he'd been kept cryogenically frozen for a couple of decades. If we start seeing "Lucien Cain Lives!" tags around town, we'll know he's alive and well at Wyndemere.

Before I move on, was anyone else a little concerned about Lucky's decision to leave those hydrocodone pills lying on the floor for anyone, like say two little boys named Cam and Aiden, to find? I sure hope the urge to check on those pills passes before Lucky picks the boys up for one of their scheduled visitations.

Did I miss something? Why exactly does Alice need a second job? I could have sworn that Lila left Alice a substantial fortune, and that Alice's wrestling career was more about her love for wrestling than her need for extra cash. I found it quite odd to see her suddenly pop up at the spa, explaining that she had switched careers because massage therapy was more lucrative. As much as I like Alice, that scene didn't make a lick of sense.

It also baffles me why Tracy would be afraid of Edward finding out about her using stolen mob money to replenish to ELQ coffers. Frankly, I doubt that Edward would be shocked into a heart attack if he learned about Tracy's little secret. He's much more likely to pat her on her back for showing some ingenuity. Edward has done far worse, so he's hardly one to judge. I hope that little storyline gets dropped quickly. It's downright silly.

Another plot development that has me a bit annoyed is Lulu's sudden penchant for swigs of booze to deal with her troubles. If they decide to go down the "Lulu has a drinking problem" route, I'm going to be disappointed. As a child of a recovering alcoholic, who had several other family members struggle with addiction, I am fully aware that I'm much more likely to develop an addiction than the average person, so I make a point of limiting myself to one or two drinks a year.

I totally understand Lulu being upset about Dante's recent shooting, and questioning whether marrying him is the right decision. I can't find any fault with her for feeling those things, and in fact would question why she didn't have second thoughts about accepting his proposal. I also get her telling Dante that she'll marry him, even though she clearly has reservations about it, because she wants him to focus on his recovery.However, I can't understand why she would turn to alcohol for solace when she knows that her brother, father, and grandfather all had substance abuse problems. Granted, Lulu might be somewhat in denial about Luke, but I know for a certainty that she isn't in denial about Lucky and her grandfather. Lulu reaching for a bottle, because she's going through a difficult period, smacks of sloppy writing, especially after her sermons to Dante about addiction, and how it works.

I can't feel sorry for someone who, knowing the dangers, resorts to playing with fire, because life is hard. It infuriates me that Lulu is more determined to be a Spencer than a Webber. What makes Luke so special? Why can't one of Laura's children strive to emulate the fine qualities of their mother, instead of trying to be like their selfish father?

Moving on to more cheery things, please raise your hand if you giggled when Sam played that surfing video game in her five-inch wedge heels. Now, it's true that it's possible to run, jump, and scale tall buildings in a single bound in our stilettos, but there are limits. Water sports, even the video versions, are among them.

Sam has injured her ankle enough times to know that she shouldn't be surfing in heels, and now that she's married, she doesn't need to resort to finding excuses to spend time in her hubby's arms. Surfing in heels aside, I love the Hawaii scenes. Even if you aren't a Jasam fan, you have to admit it's refreshing to see Jason and Sam wearing something other than their standard black t-shirt and jeans.

I hope that Jason and Sam soak up all the happiness that they can on their honeymoon, because there are a few serpents slithering around their paradise. One of them is Franco, with his strangely silent flip-flops and sinister mechanical gadgets that are apparently invisible to everyone except Franco and us. I've heard rumblings about what Franco intends to do, but fear not, I won't spoil it for you. I will say, though, that happily ever after doesn't happen on soaps because soaps are about the challenges that people face, not the good times. Will Jason and Sam's marriage survive? Time will tell.

A pairing that I fear might not survive is Matt and Maxie. It's as clear as the night sky around Port Charles that Maxie continues to be drawn to Spinelli. I'm not sure why, because Spinelli's one true claim to fame, his killer cyber-skills, are gone, so he's pretty much useless right now. Matt, on the other hand, is a soon-to-be published doctor, who made a breakthrough in cancer research. He's also handsome, incredibly thoughtful, and unbelievably understanding.

I can see why Elizabeth is drawn to him, even if it's just in friendship right now. I do hope it blooms into more, because Elizabeth is overdue for a healthy relationship. It's time for her to shed that scarlet "A" that was pinned to her chest during her affair with Nikolas.

I loved that they remembered BJ's birthday, but I hate that Bobbie wasn't part of it. It seems wrong to remember a child, but not include that child's parent. I know Maxie has BJ's heart, so Maxie and BJ are bonded in a unique and special way, but Bobbie was BJ's mother. Every time I think of BJ, I think of how Bobbie and Tony learned about the tragic accident that claimed their daughter's life, and then had to make the heartbreaking decision to allow their brain-dead child to become an organ donor.

I would rather have had Maxie remember that it was BJ's birthday, and then leave it at that. Revolving an entire episode around it, without including Bobbie, wasn't right. Doubly so, because the role of Maxie has been temporarily recast, so the scenes lost a lot of their emotional impact.

Something else that is wrong is how Sonny and Carly allow Michael do as he pleases. Sonny, fire that boy if he refuses to listen. Carly and Sonny act as if they don't have any control over Michael when the opposite is true. Cut him off financially, and fire him from his job at the warehouse if he won't listen to the boss. Michael should be expected to behave like the adult that he claims to be.

Michael agreed to work for Sonny's legitimate business, so that's exactly what he should do. It was very frustrating to watch Michael this week. He behaved like a little boy who was denied his favorite toy. I half-expected Michael to start holding his breath until he turned blue, and then passed out, when he didn't get his way.

As harsh as this might sound, I think that Michael needs to learn a lesson about the lifestyle that he's so desperate to get into. Perhaps seeing Abby gunned down might open to his eyes to the reality of what the mob is really about. The people he admires so much are killers and thugs, including saintly Jason. Sure they can be charming and kind, but Jason is an enforcer, not a humanitarian.

Their power, which Michael appears to covet, is fleeting. All it takes is a lucky shot from the enemy, and it's gone in an instant.

I hate seeing Michael fight to get into a world that has cost him so much already. It would be one thing if he were trying to avoid getting into the mob, but kept getting pulled in despite his best efforts. I know I should have sympathy for Michael, but the way things are unfolding, I just find myself getting more and more disgusted with him.

Finally, I'd like to take a moment to express my shock and dismay about the firing of Emmy-nominated actress Lexi Ainsworth (Kristina Davis-Corinthos). Rumors have been swirling that she was let go because she didn't "look" old enough to play an 18-year old, even though the actress herself is a year older than her character. ABC is not commenting, and has instructed the actress not to discuss her dismissal, which, in my book, just confirms the rumors. After all, if you have nothing to hide, then why hide it?

As the mother of a teenage girl, I'm very disheartened to learn that in this day and age, someone is still being discriminated against because she doesn't have that perfect body that only a plastic surgeon and unhealthy eating habits can achieve. Beauty is subjective, and comes in all different shapes and sizes. That should be the message that soaps send out, because that's the message that today's young woman needs and wants to hear.

I wish Ms. Ainsworth well, and pray that she becomes a mega-star, so that those who decided to let her go kick themselves in their collective rears for making a truly boneheaded decision.