Sugar and spice, and everything nice

Kate takes responsibility for her crimes, prompting Starr to request mercy from the court. Todd wrestles with his conscience, so he hires Sam to help give her a fresh start. Sam accuses Liz of going after Jason, Johnny is haunted by Hope, and Maxie worries that Patrick is seeking solace from prescription pills. It's time to dig in to this week's edition of Two Scoops to find out what's been happening in Port Charles.

Before I dive into the latest happenings in Port Chuck this week, I would like to take a moment to congratulate Tony Geary, Jonathan Jackson, Nancy Lee Grahn, and General Hospital on their Emmy wins. Take note, ABC, this show is worth keeping!!

If you haven't heard, GH will be moving to a new time slot beginning September 10, 2012.

Also, be sure to check out Soap Central's extensive coverage of the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, including Red Carpet interviews conducted by Soap Central's founder, Dan J Kroll, and his co-hosts, Chrishell Stause and Haley Pullos. There are wonderful articles, pictures, and videos, including a particularly darling one of Haley Pullos talking to GH Executive Producer, Frank Valentini.

Now, let's dish.

A few weeks ago, I wanted nothing more than to see Angry-Starr gone. I'm not a fan of people in revenge-mode, because all of that bitterness grates on my nerves. Starr was particularly annoying while she was out for blood. However, this week there was a refreshing shift in Starr's personality. For the first time in quite a while, Sweet-Starr made an appearance.

The court scene, when Starr addressed the judge and explained that she didn't hold Kate responsible for what had happened to Hope and Cole, was a huge step in the right direction. Not just because we, the viewers, know that Kate/Connie was not responsible for the crash, but because we have enough angry people stomping around like Godzilla on a warpath in Port Charles.

I'm referring to Kristina, of course, but more on that later.

Judging by the goofy grin that Michael is sporting these days, whenever he's around Starr, I'm guessing that Michael is liking this new side of Starr too. Clearly there is a romance brewing between Michael and Starr. I know it might sound silly and old-fashioned, but I'd like to see a simple uncomplicated romance.

Sadly, I doubt that I'm going to get that with Michael and Starr, because of that annoying pest known as Trey.

Michael was right to warn Starr that Trey's attempts to make "Starrfish" mad is Trey's juvenile way of flirting. Trey is not nearly as clever as he seems to think he is. I suspect that is why I despise him so thoroughly. Kristina is a blind fool, so she deserves to get her heart trampled by this clown. It's as obvious as the scowl on Kristina's face that Kristina is Trey's golden ticket to spy on everyone in town, particularly Sonny.

Frankly, I am tried of Kristina acting like her parents shipped her off to Teen Boot Camp, where she belonged, instead of to a prestigious Ivy League school. It's difficult to have empathy for someone who behaves as deplorably, not to mention immaturely, as Kristina. What is she hoping to achieve with this show? To prove that Sonny is a mobster? Then what? Is she going to clap and wave bye-bye when her father, and possibly Jason, are carted off to Pentonville, thanks to the evidence that was obtained from her show?

Somehow, I doubt that. Kristina is more likely to start crying that she only wanted to humiliate Sonny, the same way that she claims he humiliated her. The truth is, there will always be people who want to tear you down, whether you are a mob princess, a homemaker, or the president of the United States. That's life -- get used to it.

Sonny was right when he told Alexis that Kristina wouldn't last very long on her own. Foolishly, Alexis insists on caving to her daughter's emotional blackmail, rather than showing some tough love by calling Kristina's bluff. Kristina is right to accuse Alexis of treating Kristina like a child. However, what Kristina fails to realize is that she acts like a child, which is why Alexis can't see Kristina as a responsible adult.

I guess that is why I don't feel all that sorry for Kristina's heart when Trey inevitably breaks it. She put herself in that position out of spite and anger. The person I feel bad for is Kate, because my gut is screaming that Trey is the baby that Kate abandoned at the boarding house.

Poor Kate. This woman just can't catch a break.

I'm not saying that Trey deserved to be abandoned at birth, but it's clear that someone found him, and that he was taken care of. Quite well it seems, because he did attend Yale, and he appears healthy enough. Kate was traumatized after a violent rape at a tender age and felt abandoned when she discovered that she was pregnant. Her mind literally fractured, so she was mentally ill when she gave birth.

However, now that Kate is finally facing what she did all those years ago, she realizes that her child didn't deserve to be left in a dresser. She is filled with regret and remorse, and is trying to take responsibility for all of her actions. That's big, and I respect that. Kate has quickly risen to be one of my favorite characters in recent weeks. Kelly Sullivan is doing a phenomenal job.

What I'm not liking is the way that Carly is looking at Todd these days, as if he's a delicious hunk of steak that she's eager to devour. I can't deny that Roger and Laura have chemistry, but I'm not interested in seeing Todd and Carly hook up romantically, especially with Blair slated to make an appearance in Port Charles soon. I'd rather see Todd with someone like Alexis or Anna, rather than Carly. Carly and Blair are just too much alike, so I'd always be left wondering if Todd was with Carly because he had settled.

You can also hear Kassie DePaiva talk a little about her General Hospital run, and her thoughts on the One Life to Live "crossovers" during her appearance on last week's Soap Central Live. Click here to listen.

If Todd can't be with Blair, then pair him up with someone completely different than the type of woman that he has dated in the past. Todd is eager for a fresh start, so this is the perfect opportunity to challenge Todd in a way that he hasn't been challenged before.

Besides, Carly needs to stew in her Johnny-mess for a while, because she stupidly believes that Johnny has been reformed. Have the 27 marriages to Sonny not taught her anything?

What Todd said to Carly, when she insisted that Johnny was a changed man, was so true:"Yeah? Why? Why? Because of you? Come on! People don't change like that, Carly. It's in his blood. It's his legacy passed down to him from his father and his grandfather -- all the violence and brutality. Every time he gets to make a choice, he'll make the wrong choice every time! Doesn't matter how many times he says he wants to change, Carly. He won't. He can't."

Yes, Todd was talking about himself too, but it doesn't make it any less true about Johnny. Johnny is ruled by the same type of demons that Todd is, and that is why Todd is able to appreciate that, regardless how hard Todd and Johnny might want to make better choices, they can't, because they are unable to break free of their self-destructive pattern.

Carly suffers from a common unattainable fantasy that many fall for when they hook up with damaged people. She thinks that her love is powerful enough to change Johnny, but only Johnny can change himself. He has to love himself enough to want to be different, but I don't think that he's there yet. Not with Anthony and Creepy-Hope filling his head with self-doubt and scorn.

Sorry, but the SORAS'd Ghost-Hope, was just a tad bit unsettling. It felt like she had been plucked right out of the cast from one of the Children of the Corn movies.

I feel for Johnny. He was raised to think and react like a criminal, because a criminal raised him. Therefore, it's easier for Johnny to resort to criminal behavior when things go awry. I think that is the reason that I don't hate him for what happened to Hope and Cole. Johnny is the product of his upbringing, so when he felt most vulnerable, he reacted the way that he was raised to react.

As viewers, we see that Johnny is haunted by what he's done. Todd, too, for that matter.

I'm not trying to excuse what Todd and Johnny did, I'm just pointing out that neither man is acting like what they did was right. They know that they did wrong, and battle their consciences every day. That matters to me, because there have been plenty of times that I've seen soap characters do horrific things and justify their actions.

I can't forgive someone who doesn't even recognize that what they did was wrong.

Do I forgive Todd for what he did to Sam? No, he hasn't righted that wrong, but I understand why he did it, so I'm open to forgiving him, once he takes responsibility for his actions.

The same with Johnny. I'm ready to forgive him, if he comes clean.

I have different standards for soap characters than I do for real people. Soap characters have to literally get away with murder. If they didn't then we'd be watching tumbleweeds blowing down the empty streets of Port Charles every afternoon.

People doing bad things, and making the worst choices, are the foundations of our storylines. We need our soap characters to be flawed and do awful things to get these exciting stories and rich complex histories. It simply wouldn't work if everyone always did the right thing. Each of our favorites has done unforgivable things, but they've managed to redeem themselves in the eyes of their fans.

Someone who doesn't worry about redemption is Heather. She's just plain evil and completely embraces it. I suspect that is why she makes me laugh, even though she's diabolical and amoral.

Several of my favorite scenes this week included our resident lunatic, Heather.

Heather busts Spinelli in the woods, so he tells her that he's there to capture the sound of the elusive cuckoo on his handy-dandy digital recorder. Naturally, Heather doesn't believe him, so she snatches the digital recorder out of his hand and clicks play:Spinelli: " P.I. log. I have tracked the vehicle of my subject, one Heather Webber, to mile marker 13, the site of her peculiar stop-off the night of the recent storm. Why has she returned here? What holds such fascination for the cockeyed cuckoo?"Heather: "Well, I guess you found your cuckoo."

Heather learns that Todd hired Sam, because Todd was forced to fire his first assistant to cover up the fact that he had fired a popular columnist to give Heather a job.Heather: "You need an assistant? Go to H.R.! Don't hire Sam."(Note: Diane had better get her job back after Heather returns to Ferncliff! This wrong demands to be righted at the very first opportunity, because Carolyn Hennesy is also much loved by her real-life audience)

Later, Todd justifies his decision to hire Sam:Todd: "We took her child away from her, okay? I told you, I'm going to do every little thing that I can to try and make things up to her."Heather: "Oh, well, that's a fair trade. You take her baby and you offer her an entry-level position at the Sun."

Meanwhile, Sam might really need that job as Todd's assistant, because she stinks at eavesdropping, which should be second nature to a private investigator.

Todd and Heather all but drew a map to Sam's baby, but all Sam overheard was that Heather thinks that Sam is a spy. Perhaps John can lend Sam that bug he planted in Sonny's house, when John returns to Port Charles with his frequent-flyer buddy, Jason.

Speaking of John and Sam, I was a little surprised that Sam was miffed about Jason talking to Liz, even though Sam had just gotten off of the phone with John, whom Sam had called for a pep talk. I get that Sam feels comfortable talking to John, because he was there to help her deliver her son. However, Jason and Liz share a stronger bond than that, because of Jake.

Jake's birth and death will forever bind Jason and Liz, regardless who they are with. Does Liz want Jason? I don't know. I suspect that a part of her will always love him, the same way that a part of him will always love her. They've been through a lot together over the many years that they've known each other and there has always been an undeniable attraction between them. It's why Carly hates Liz so much.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Jason and Liz will act on that attraction by getting involved again. Loving someone is not the same as being in love with someone. Right now, Jason is in love with Sam, just like Sam is still in love with Jason.

I think that's why Sam accused Liz of making a move for Jason, even though Jason is the one who has been opening up to Liz about everything, having drinks and shooting pool with her, as well as dropping by unannounced at her house. Sam wouldn't be jealous if she didn't still love Jason. Sam is feeling salty, and she's taking it out on Liz. Why not? It's not like these two have ever been best friends, or will be.

I actually loved seeing Liz and Sam go at it at the Floating Rib. It was positively delicious, because they flayed each other with words, not slaps and hair-pulling. Proof that you can do more damage with a well-placed comment than with sharp nails and fists.

My favorite zingers from Liz and Sam's exchange:

Liz: "The day I found out you and Jason got engaged, I congratulated you..."Sam: "Oh, thank you. You congratulated me. Saint Elizabeth!"

Sam: "You're right. You're absolutely right. You have been patient, and now's your chance. Come on, you've never stopped loving Jason, have you?"Liz: "What about you? Have you stopped loving him?"

I have to agree with Liz that Sam needs to be careful, because Sam might keep pushing Jason away until one day he's gone.

Will Liz be the woman to help Jason pick up the pieces? Possibly, but it could just as easily be Carly, because Carly is headed down the path of heartbreak and has always carried a torch for Jason that has never once wavered or dimmed. Besides, it appears that Liz is going to have her hands full with Ewen, who is about to step up his game to woo Elizabeth, thanks to pill-popping Patrick.

Yes, you read that right. Patrick is now popping pills to cope with his grief, but fear not, Maxie is onto him. Fingers crossed that this story ends quickly. I'd rather see Patrick resort to his philandering ways than to battle addiction. Lucky and Luke already blazed that trail.

• I wish for once they would let Jason and Sam be happy. Sam has always wanted a baby and she lost her first daughter and instead of letting her enjoy the joy of having a healthy baby, she thinks her son is dead. This is so lame. There are other stars like Liz and Carly who have had more than one child and have had no problems but Sam is not given the opportunity at all. Please try and be a little realistic. Its make us audiences so fed up. -- Lynette

• In my opinion, it's completely understandable that a man would have issues raising the child of a man he despised. Sure, he SHOULD support his wife, but if he can't bring himself to feel love for that child, then we can't force him -- and shouldn't condemn him either. -- Jerilyn

• Thank you for saying what I've been thinking. Drinking beers and playing pool with your dead baby momma while your raped wife just lost her second baby, seriously? Shame on Liz for being there with Jason in the first place. -- Sue

• I hate the reality show story with Kristina -- again utterly ridiculous. There is no way in heck that either Alexis or Sonny would stand for that. And this new Kristina has got to go -- she's awful as well! -- Jennifer

• Hate the direction that General is taking with Christina -- please stop it -- makes me want to not watch her craziness -- Barb

• Please get Heather off of General Hospital we do not need two people on that program that are having mental problems, we have this mess in everyday life, what are the writers thinking, this stinks -- Joan

• I have to agree. I sat on the edge of my seat and cried for the young teenage girl in love with Sonny, who was no mobster then, and full of dreams and hopes of a life away from the old neighborhood and a life with Sonny. I know they say you can never go back but if someone had only known what Joe Scully, Jr. did back then, then Connie would never have had to reinvent herself. -- Nonniepat

• I am not a fan of Connie, Kate, Skate or whatever. So I am not watching that storyline. But I do agree Kelly Sullivan is doing a good job for the few scenes I have watched. But I have to say, not all DID alters "protect" their host. I have a friend who has a good friend with it. She has an alter who is a 17 year old nympho and picks up men all the time. Another alter hates taking her meds and throws them away. -- Kelly

  The actress that is playing Kate/Connie is fantastic she deserve an EMMY for her work doing her storyline. BRAVO -- Virginia H.

Thank you for taking the time to email me. I wish that I could have shared all of the wonderful emails with you, but there were simply too many. However, I loved reading what readers had to say, so please keep sending those emails.