Dear readers, I have a confession to make, and it's a horrible confession. I know that bipolar disorder is a real and terrifying illness. I have friends that have it, and I have seen their highs and lows wreck them, so I do not want to make light of it. BUT, with that having been said, isn't Sonny riveting to watch when he's off his meds?
And that's the rub of medication. I recently visited a friend who has bipolar disorder and was off his meds, had a meltdown, and was really struggling. Now he is back on his meds, but he's so subdued, I can barely find a trace of the passionate person he is behind that fog of drugs. I wonder how that must feel -- to have to choose between feeling your raw emotion and being dominated by it, or to feel nothing.
When Sonny is on his meds, he is still intense, but reasonable and manageable. When Sonny is off his meds, he's like a wild, untamed animal, unpredictable, irrational, and fierce. He might throw a bottle of scotch at the wall or ask you to waltz -- or both -- within a two-minute span of time.
While I wouldn't want to deal with someone like that in my real life, as a viewer of a fascinating fictional character, it's the kind of performance that makes you unable to look away. Maurice Benard is riveting. He can be scary or charming or vulnerable or cruel; his ups and downs are like the tides -- pulling you in and pushing you away. Sometimes his performances are so subtle they don't get the attention they deserve. But on a show like today's show, I dare anyone to ignore his contribution. Sonny Corinthos has a million layers, and every layer you peel back is both beautiful and painful to witness. Benard should send today's episode in as his Emmy reel.
This week was "hit and miss" otherwise. First, they recast Felix's sister, Taylor. That felt strange to me as a viewer. Second, I don't like the sudden appearance of Sabrina's "long-lost boyfriend Carlos from Puerto Rico." Especially when we already know Robin is coming back -- isn't that a powerful enough love triangle? Patrick would have to choose between his presumed-dead wife and his new lover who brought him back to life in the midst of grief. Adding a fourth player in the mix seems overly complicated.
NuMorgan is growing on me, but now that the word is out on his lies, I fear he will spiral out of control into Grandpa Mike's gambling addiction rut and get stuck there as a character. I hope that's not the case. Oh, I wish we could get Johnny Z out of prison somehow. Remember how he took Michael under his wing? Morgan could learn a lot from Johnny,
Is it just me, readers, or does Chad Duell have the saddest eyes on the planet? When he gets that sad look on his face, don't you just instinctively want to fix anything that's broken for him? When he looks sad, it breaks my heart! As for fill-in date Penny, clearly she is just heartless. Maybe Michael can have Sabrina after Robin comes back -- or Ellie after Spinelli, Maxie, and baby Georgie become a family (dreaming). After all, it would be good for the extended Corinthos clan to have a medical professional in the family, what with all their gunshot wounds and whatnot.
I fear that if Ava Jerome and her brother, Derek Wells (a.k.a. Julian Jerome), have their way that bloodshed is imminent. On the other hand, while he is off his meds, Sonny seems slightly smitten with Ava, and I think we all know that no woman can resist Sonny and his potent magical sperm that impregnate anyone he sleeps with instantly. But if Sonny hooks up with Ava, it would be The Bold and the Beautiful creepy to have Kiki's mom doing it with Morgan's dad after I have seen the way cougar Ava looks at Morgan.
Alexis doesn't know it yet, but that suave and handsome fellow she's got a hot crush on is another mobster (who also happens to be her baby daddy.) How long will Derek/Julian be able to keep quiet about the fact that he is Sam's dad and Danny's grandpa? I am hoping that Julian will be a debonair mobster like Alcazar -- a little less brutal and bloody now that he has a family to care about. Remember when Alcazar took Carly hostage on his yacht and taught her to play backgammon?
One of the many reasons that I would be a bad mobster is because if someone wanted my territory, I would just give it to them rather than having my family all shot up. This would not play well on a soap, though, so I guess we will have to brace ourselves for a big gun-crazed shootout. I have to admit that without Jason, the mob stuff falls flat for me. Neither Shawn nor Max convince me as "enforcers" -- the whole "We are gonna stick your hand in the dirty French Fry oil" scene grossed me out but didn't scare me. All I thought was, "Wow, Kelly's needs to clean their damned deep fryer."
Since Steve Burton is firmly parked in Genoa City, having a PTSD meltdown right now, GH has to either consider recasting Jason or bringing someone like Johnny Zachara back. Maybe Johnny hates the Jeromes more than Sonny, and they can make peace long enough to defeat the intruders?
Or if Sonny wants kinship with someone else off their meds, Heather is roaming around town aimlessly; he could sign her on as an enforcer. I was sad my mother wasn't around to hear Heather brag about "sneaking in and out of places since the 80s" because my mom used to get so wound up about that -- she would have loved that line! My mom would yell at me and the TV, "Oh, my goodness, how did she get out again?!" Fun that the writers gave a nod to her slippery history.
I like Heather. I think Robin Mattson is a hoot, and Heather is always comic relief, even at her most diabolical. But, I liked Carly feeling compassion for Franco, giving him a suite, and celebrating his (and Jason's) birthday with him, more. Thus, the diversion of having Heather show up and ruin their budding friendship made me feel cheated. It was stalled momentum, and there has been a plethora of that in Port Charles lately. Nearly every couple is on hold in some way.
I like that the Rafe/Silas relationship is thawing out but dislike Rafe and NuTaylor teaming up to make Molly and T.J. jealous. I like Silas and Sam and am annoyed that their first official date was ruined. I have been waiting since "John McBain" left to live vicariously through Kelly Monaco as she makes out with Michael Easton. C'mon! Give a sister a break.
I like that some secrets have come out, but I dislike that both Maxie and Spinelli have kept quiet about their baby to Dante and Lulu. The Spinelli I know and love would not have made this choice. Does anyone but me remember how many times Spinelli pleaded with Jason to claim Jake as his son? And Jason's motives were noble, as he feared for Jake's life due to his gangster lifestyle. Hard to believe that same Spinelli would be okay with giving up his daughter just for the fear of hurting Lulu's feelings.
Also, Britt's baby is most likely Dante and Lulu's real child, and it's going to upset me if Nikolas gets attached to Britt's baby and gets it yanked away from him like Aiden. Since Britt is homeless and will be living with the fair prince, chances are he will get attached.
What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will Laura return from Paris to see her new granddaughter again after the world's longest physical exam? Will baby Connie split into a second personality of Georgie to try to please both sets of parents? Will more and more people who never talk about Robin start randomly mentioning her again next week? Will anyone notice that Britt's baby isn't half Asian, thereby eliminating Brad from the DNA sweepstakes? Will Carly and Olivia team up to hold Sonny down like a squirming puppy and push the pills down his throat, wrapped in a slice of bologna? Will my local news stop breaking in during GH every single day with something that seems important to them but isn't to me? Will Robin leave Emma in a tree for old time's sake when she returns?
Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.
Tamilu
