Under the mistletoe

With Faison unmasked, Anna returned to the clinic to seek some answers. Who will she find and how will it affect her future? Meanwhile, A.J. took steps to make certain that Michael saw Sonny's violent side, but at what cost? Elsewhere, Trey invited Kristina to move away with him, while Olivia continued to be plagued by visions that didn't bode well for Lulu and Dante's baby. It's time to catch up on what's been going on in Port Charles with this week's edition of Two Scoops.

I despise Britt, but I laughed when she practically shoved Sabrina out of the way and then laid a big ole smooch on Patrick under the mistletoe, while Sabrina and Felix were left to stand on the sidelines glaring at the determined witch locking lips with the handsome doctor. Felix's "That sneaky bitch" remark was hilarious and spot-on.

Catty drama aside, it made me think about who I'd like to see kiss under the mistletoe. First up would have to be A.J. and Liz. I don't know how long it's been for A.J., but poor Liz hasn't hit the sheets with anyone in years. Not since her affair with Nikolas. I suspect that's the real reason she latched onto Jason again when his marriage with Sam hit the rocks.

Liz is unattached and disliked by Jason's circle of friends almost as much as A.J. is, so they do have that in common.

Speaking of Jason's friends, it seems that Sonny took some time out from grieving for Jason to buy Volonino's Gym. We learned this nugget of information when A.J. dropped by the gym to have a little chat with Sonny about Michael. A.J. made his intentions clear about building a relationship with Michael, despite Sonny's objections, but suggested that perhaps there could be room in Michael's life for A.J. and Sonny. Sonny reacted as expected; he immediately rejected that idea and then manipulated A.J. into sparring with him in the boxing ring. Sonny acted all innocent when Shawn called Sonny out on it, but you could see the gleam of satisfaction in Sonny's eyes at the thought of taking a few swings at A.J.

A.J. saw Michael's text after he accepted Sonny's invitation to join Sonny in the ring, so that is when A.J. decided to take the opportunity to show Michael just how violent Sonny could be. It's true that A.J. said some pretty harsh things that were obviously designed to push Sonny's buttons, but ultimately, Sonny is the one who lost his temper and exploded. I don't recall A.J. punching Sonny when Sonny accused A.J. of being a spineless drunk and all-around dirtbag.

It didn't sit well with me that the first thing that Sonny did was to blame A.J. when Michael walked in. Just minutes before, Sonny had told A.J., "You're always the victim, A.J., always making excuses for what you did, always feeling sorry for yourself. When are you gonna grow up? I don't understand it." Who's playing the victim now, Sonny?

A.J. didn't hold a gun to Sonny's head, or hang him from a meat hook and threaten him with death. Sonny snapped because that's what Sonny does. What A.J. did wasn't nice, but Sonny isn't exactly a nice guy either. I have no doubt that Sonny would have happily set A.J. up to look bad in front of Michael if the opportunity had presented itself.

A.J. is simply fighting fire with fire, so I'm not entirely sure why Starr has such a big problem about A.J. being less than forthcoming with Michael about what went down at Volonino's. Starr is not exactly being truthful with Michael, for similar reasons. Sometimes you make difficult choices to protect the ones you love. I do believe that A.J. loves Michael, and always has, so if he has to get his hands a little dirty to make a point to Michael, then so be it. A.J. didn't break any laws, and he didn't get petty by having Sonny arrested.

There was a time that A.J. would have done just that. It's up to Michael to figure things out for himself and to decide what he's willing to put up with from all of his parents. I love Starr, but she should be very careful about pointing that finger, because she's not in any position to judge.

It's been a few weeks now without Jason, and to be quite honest, I'm not missing him as much as I had thought that I would. That kind of surprises me because I love Steve Burton and was heartbroken when I learned that he was leaving the show. I was actually in denial for a while because I couldn't imagine Steve leaving such a cushy job where he was loved by everyone in front of and behind the cameras.

Sure, I miss Jason. I would have loved to have seen his reaction to A.J.'s return and everything that A.J. had to say, but it's become clear that GH can go on without Jason. A lot of that has to do with some really juicy and interesting storylines going on right now featuring all of the characters. The show seems more balanced and feels more like an ensemble these days.

Look at how many people are involved in the story about Faison's return. There are so many layers to that storyline that even John and Dante are now part of it. It has really been fun to watch the scenes unfold because it has reignited my interest in Robert and Anna, who are another couple I'd like to see pucker up under the mistletoe, especially with the real Duke Lavery about to be revealed.

I'm certain that's who Anna saw when she swung open the door at the clinic in Switzerland and then gasped, "Oh, my God." There was a lot of foreshadowing going on prior to that scene, as Anna shared her theory with Robert about how Faison had known things that only she and Duke had been privy to.

Those scenes in Lucerne made this soap fan giddy with joy because it reminded me of the days when the storytelling had been fast-paced, exciting, and jam-packed with action. I loved the suspense as Faison had the real Duke Lavery, bound and gagged, hauled into the hotel suite to prove to Anna that they were two separate individuals. Killing Klaus, the henchman, was a stroke of genius because it explained to Anna why she would wake up to see Duke there, not Faison. I honestly didn't blame Anna for believing what she was told because Faison had sold it perfectly.

I have to say, I am really impressed with Ian Buchanan's work. He's been playing a well-known villain who is impersonating a popular character that Ian had originated. It can't be easy to play a dual role and sell it to the audience one way, while selling it to the characters a different way, yet Ian has managed to successfully do just that.

I completely understood why Anna fell for the lies. The latex mask was a little questionable, but the writers tried to explain that away with a reminder to us that Faison had access to the latest state-of-the-art technology, which had created that mask.

It's going to be interesting to see what the writers have planned for Duke. Will he, like Faison, want to pick up with Anna where they had left off twenty years earlier, or will the events over the last couple of decades have profoundly changed Duke and possibly his feelings for Anna?

Could you just imagine Luke's reaction if he were to return to Port Charles to find Duke courting Tracy instead of Anna? Luke's head would explode!

I kind of hope that Duke will be a little reluctant to reunite with Anna. I need time to get to know this Duke because the Faison-twist has sort of tainted him a bit. I know that's probably not fair, but that's how it is. Plus, as I said, I like Robert and Anna's chemistry.

Then again, I also liked Robert's vibe with Olivia a few weeks ago, which really surprised me because I was never really a fan of Olivia's --at least not until she was given an overdose of LSD and started to have visions. There's a vulnerability about Olivia now, which I find endearing, that had been lacking before. Her reactions to the strange visions are funny and never fail to amuse me. I loved it when she scolded the jackal puppy for talking.

I'm more convinced than ever that Olivia's vision of a jackal puppy portends a Spinelli baby for Maxie. The groundwork appears to have been laid for a rift between Ellie and Spinelli that could lead him to seek solace in Maxie's arms. Ellie is convinced that Maxie is the love of Spinelli's life, which Maxie only reinforced when she warned Ellie that Spinelli would eventually find his way back to Maxie.

If Maxie ends up pregnant with Spinelli's baby, then it's unlikely that she and Spinelli would give the baby to Lulu and Dante to raise. I would feel horrible for Lulu and Dante if that were to happen and frankly, I'd be furious with Maxie for being so careless. The only way that things could work out for everyone if Maxie were to get pregnant with Spinelli's baby is if one of the implanted embryos from Lulu and Dante takes, so that Maxie ended up pregnant with two babies. It's a soap, so it's not outside the realm of possibility.

Did anyone else Google rubella when Mac told Maxie that Felicia had it? I did. It's something that kids have been vaccinated against for years, so I thought that it was one of those viruses that had been eradicated, at least in the U.S.

According to the CDC, there were 222 reported cases of rubella, also known as the German or three-day measles, in 2011. It's true that it can harm developing fetuses, but I found it odd that the writers went with rubella instead of a more common illness like chicken pox/shingles, which can be equally harmful to pregnant women and unborn babies.

The funniest scene this week, hands down, was when Olivia barged in on Dante while he was busy trying to do his part to get the baby made. Dante sputtered with outrage because his mother hadn't bothered to knock before she burst into the room. I don't blame him, but I giggled when Olivia rolled her eyes and waved away his embarrassment.

Olivia: "How many times do you think I changed your diapers? You think you got something there I haven't seen?"Dante: "Not like this! You haven't seen it like this!"Olivia: "I'm sorry, honey. I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I am with you every step of the way."Dante: "Awesome. That's great. I just don't need you during this step, okay?"

I howled with laughter because it was such an honest parent/kid exchange. I bet the majority of parents reading this column have said almost the same exact thing to their child at one time or another. Granted, probably not under those exact circumstances, but still, as a parent, I completely identified with Olivia's attitude.

Dare I hope that my prayers have been answered about Kristina going away? This week, Trey announced his decision to take a job in Los Angeles on the set of David Vickers' latest movie. To my utter joy, Trey invited Kristina to move with him. I shouted at my television, "Go Kristina! Go!" I will miss Trey, but if it means I will be free of this particular version of Kristina, I will be happy to see him leave.

Speaking of departures, Wednesday, news broke that Scott Reeves (Steven Webber) has been let go. I wish the actor well, but I'm not heartbroken over this decision. It's not that I don't like Scott Reeves. He's a fine actor and absolutely delicious looking, but his and Shaun Benson's versions of Steven Lars Webber lacked an intensity and magnetism that I would expect with a legacy character like Steve.

Not even the revelation that Steve had let a patient die to save the life of another patient gave the character the edge that one would expect from the child of a homicidal maniac like Heather. The last two incarnations of Steve simply never lived up to the potential of a character that has the blood of Steve Hardy, Jeff Webber, and Heather Grant flowing through his veins.

I hope they opt to recast Steve rather than to kill him off for two reasons. The first is that I truly believe that, with the right actor and storyline, this character could be a huge hit with the audience. The other reason is more sentimental. As I noted earlier, Steve is a legacy character whose roots trace back to the very first episode of GH. The Hardys are to GH what the Ewings are to Dallas. I don't want Liz and her two boys to be the only Hardys left.

That is one of the reasons that I wouldn't mind seeing Liz and A.J. hook up. It keeps Liz on the canvas, gives A.J. the opportunity to prove that he has what it takes to be a father, and it merges two GH dynasty families. Plus, visually, Liz and A.J. look hot together.

So, Felix, if you are reading this column, grab that sprig of mistletoe and get busy. Who would you like to see meet under the mistletoe? Send us email to let us know!

• Love all the wonderful email that fans have been writing in. I too love GH. I have been watching since Laura and Scotty. I too fell for Luke when Laura met Luke. My whole college dorm witnessed Luke and Laura's wedding. I followed Maurice from Nico on AMC to Sonny on GH. Sonny and Brenda remain my favorite couple. I also watched OLTL. I love seeing Todd, John, Starr, Blair and Tea. It's like OLTL lives on. I'm waiting for Vicki and Dorian. Thank you Frank and Ron. Love what you are doing with GH. - Maura N.

• My favorite character on GH is Elizabeth, brilliantly played by Rebecca Herbst. I remember her first scene on the show and I have watched every scene since. She is a fan favorite so PLEASE give her a storyline so I can continue to watch GH. - Brenda P

• Hopefully Lorenzo being Tomas means one thing...the only thing I've been waiting to see since Skye and Carly ID'd him from the photo...to see the great Mr. King. - Nonniepat

• I had stopped watching GH after 32 faithful years. That was 3 years ago. Now I am hooked again and loving it. All the characters I cared about are back...A.J., Monica, and all the Quartermaines, Robert, Anna, Mac, Duke, Faison, now Lucy is returning too. I can't wait to watch again!! Thank you to this new regime that cares about the core legacy characters! - Suzie

• Tracy doesn't deserve everything but she is I think the better one to run the company. I can't see A.J. as the least bit capable. My impression of him is very negative and this is from present observation not from Carly and Sonny's account. He isn't the least concerned with how his mother has put herself on the line for him. - Lisa

• I can certainly understand why you despise Carly. She is everything you said and if she were a real person, I would despise her too. I have always thought that I liked her, but there a lot of times during which I would like to b**ch slap her into next week. I will say that she is one of the most complicated and interesting characters on soaps, so while I'm no longer sure I like her, I am sure that I like watching her. - Carol

I would like to take a moment to extend my deepest condolences to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, and their families. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was affected by that senseless nightmare, especially those tender young children who have to deal with the aftermath of those terrifying minutes that stole the lives of their classmates and adults around them.

In the wake of what happened, ABC preempted its daytime programming on Friday, December 14, 2012, to provide extensive news coverage of the tragedy, so Friday's episode of General Hospital will air on Monday, December 17, 2012.

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 emailing, and your thoughts may appear here in my next column!

Don't forget you can also share your opinions on our new 24/7 feedback line (especially your picks for the best and worst of 2012). Call 267.341.7627 and record your comments or questions, and they may appear here in a future column, or they could be played during our weekly all-things-soap radio show, Soap Central Live!