Live free or die

Jake had surgery to rid Helena from his brain while Nikolas did a little non-surgical Helena-removing of his own. Will either man be free of Helena? Meanwhile, while two Lukes would seem to be better than one, what exactly happened to cause Luke's split from reality? Plus, Olivia is hiding a pregnancy, and Spinelli is back and wanting to reclaim Maxie's heart. Here's hoping that this week's Two Scoops sweeps you off your feet.

There's a lot of stuff I'm eager to dish about, but first I'd like to give a great big shout-out to Ron Carlivati and his team to say thank you for the beautifully written poignant scene between Franco and Kiki earlier in the week. It was such a bittersweet goodbye because it wasn't just Kristen Alderson's final scene with Roger Howarth, a man who has played her father for sixteen years -- since she was six years old -- but a last farewell between Todd Manning and his beloved daughter, Starr.

Just to be clear, the character is being recast, so Franco will see Kiki again, but it won't be thatKiki. The scene at Shadybrook was their final one.

There were so many layers to that scene, and each pulled at my heartstrings because I knew the emotions were real between not just the characters, past and present, but the actors as well. The One Life to Live fan in me, who still deeply misses the show, reached for a tissue with one hand and one of my two doggies with the other as I watched Franco and Kiki's scene play out.

I vividly recall Kristen's debut, which ironically took place in a hospital, so I watched her grow from a spunky young girl into a talented and lovely young woman. I felt some of the sadness I imagine Roger felt as he watched Kristen leave the nest for the final time to spread her wings and fly.

As a fan of Kristen's, I wish her all the best, but I'm happy to see her move on because, truthfully, I never felt Kiki was the right fit for her. I find Kiki to be a completely unlikeable character because she's self-absorbed and aimless, contributes nothing to anyone, and has hooked up with one brother while pining for another. She's quick to judge others despite her own glaring host of faults, which makes her that much more hypocritical.

However, I do have to applaud Kiki for drawing from her inner Starr by deciding not to file for custody of Avery. It's not that I think Avery should be saddled with Sonny and Carly as parents but rather that Kiki would have been a far worse option. Kiki is one step above homeless -- being as she is jobless and sponges off of people -- so she needs pull herself together and get her life in order before she's ready to guide a child through life. As much as I applaud Kiki for not petitioning for custody of Avery, I applaud Michael for doing it. I realize that in real life, Michael wouldn't have a leg to stand on because he has no biological or even legal connection to the baby and is himself a convicted murderer. However, this is a soap, so these things can be glossed over for the sake of storytelling.

In this case, the custody battle has a freaking awesome payoff if Michael wins -- one that I've only dared to fantasize about over the years. That it's actually playing out is beyond my wildest dreams. Sonny is about to be served a much overdue comeuppance for forcing A.J. to give up all parental rights to Michael. Best of all, Michael is driving the train of revenge. It's soapy deliciousness at its very best and so much better than I could have imagined.

Before anyone fires off emails to remind me that A.J. wasn't exactly a prize as a father when Michael was a baby, I concede A.J. was a mess back in those days. Who wouldn't be, though, with Sonny, Carly, and your own brother coming at you with the sole intention of taking your child away from you at any cost, including your hard-won sobriety?

I love the idea of Michael taking Avery from Sonny to raise as a Quartermaine the way Sonny took Michael from A.J. to raise as a Corinthos. I also love how Sonny and Carly are reaping what they have spent decades sowing. Carly was right; Michael is using everything she, Sonny, and Jason taught and raised Michael to be and turning it against Sonny. It's both brilliant and perfect.

If I had any doubt that Michael was the better option for Avery, it was erased when Sonny stood in the Quartermaine living room and lied straight to Michael's face by assuring Michael that Avery would be safe because Sonny's days as a mobster were behind him. Sonny didn't even blink, which is probably why Michael easily saw through Pinocchio's lie.

Sonny had just told Duke that he wanted Duke to hold on to the "keys of the kingdom" for a while longer because Sonny needed to distance himself from the criminal organization during the custody battle, since Sonny's character would be scrutinized. I laughed over that one.

Does Sonny honestly think that any of the judges at the Port Charles courthouse don't already know who he is, what he's done, and what he's been accused of?

I digress. Sonny had the audacity to assure Avery's safety, knowing that he intended to resume his place as the Kingpin of Port Charles. It was at that very moment that I decided that I didn't care if it sounded preposterous; I want Michael to win because it's in Avery's best interest to be raised a Quartermaine.

At least that way, Avery will have a chance to live a safe -- not to mention exceedingly glamorous -- life. Sure, there's Tracy the Dragon Lady to contend with, and she brings her own special brand of diabolical crazy to the table, but Tracy tends to leave small children alone. Plus, Monica, Alice, Ned, and now apparently Olivia and her little bundle of joy will be around to keep Tracy in line.

I know Michael isn't without sin, but Michael would love Avery as his own and give her a life without bullets and mayhem. Michael is one of the good guys, and despite how angry he is right now, we all know he'll eventually find a way to make peace with Sonny and allow Sonny to have a greater role in Avery's life.

That's far more than Sonny and Carly ever did for A.J.

The irony is that A.J. turned out to be the far better parent than Sonny and Carly because it was A.J. who ultimately guided Michael away from a life of crime, which Michael had doggedly been determined to embrace. A.J. showed Michael that Michael could attain all the approval, power, and success Michael craved without breaking the law. It's because of A.J. that Michael is a rich, successful businessman who contributes to society instead of Sonny's heir apparent to a mob empire.

With Michael, Avery can live free, but with Sonny, she just might die. I'm beginning to think Sonny and Julian were separated at birth and are now engaged in a neck and neck race to see how many babies by different baby mamas they can populate Port Charles with.

The women on the show always get a bad rap for having children with different men when, in fact, the men are far worse -- especially Sonny and Julian.

I hate that Olivia is having Julian's baby but not for the reasons you might think. What annoys me is that we have two adult people like Olivia and Julian -- each of whom has had a child resulting from an unplanned pregnancy -- engaging in unprotected sex during a one-night stand. Really? Olivia and Julian didn't bother to use a condom? Forget about pregnancy; what about STDs?

I expect more from mature adults like Olivia and Julian.

Additionally, this is the 21st century, so there are ways to prevent a pregnancy if you are foolish enough to have unprotected sex. Olivia seemed pretty vocal about being pro-choice, so I'm really surprised that she didn't think to take the morning after pill when she realized she'd had unsafe sex with a man she describes with great disdain as "a sleazy mobster."

I'm also not thrilled that Ned is once again stepping up to take responsibility for a child that isn't his simply because he doesn't like the father. Ned can say he's doing it for the baby's safety and all that, but ultimately, what is driving Olivia and Ned is their dislike of Julian. If Olivia had gotten pregnant with Sonny's child, she'd have been picking out wedding bands and nursery furniture, and Ned would have kept his nose out of it.

I really wish the baby had been revealed to be Ned's because of a clandestine encounter he and Olivia had decided never to discuss. I think most viewers would have been okay with that rather than Olivia being pregnant with Julian's baby, because now the lie muddies the waters. I actually like Lisa and Wally's chemistry, so I ship Ned and Olivia, but I'd rather they had done the grown-up thing as Alexis suggested.

It's going to be interesting to see Julian, Alexis, Olivia, and "Ted" interact when the truth about the baby's paternity is revealed, which I have no doubt will happen far sooner than later because at the close of Friday's show, Alexis' expression screamed skepticism about Ned's claim. She knows, deep down inside, that Julian is the father, and she's going to set out to prove it because that is just who Alexis is.

Meanwhile, Luke appears to be suffering from some type of dissociative identity disorder stemming from a childhood trauma in the Spencer home on Elm Street. Judging by Fluke's malevolent appearances, I suspect it's tied to Luke and Bobbie's older sister, Patricia.

Dear readers, it's hard for me to say this because I absolutely adore and admire Ron Carlivati, Frank Valentini, and everyone over at GH, including Tony Geary. However, I'm really disappointed in the DID twist.

What made Luke Spencer so extraordinary was that he never broke even though he suffered all these horrible things throughout his life. His unshakeable strength was his one redeeming quality.

We've always known his and Bobbie's early years were nightmarish because of their abusive alcoholic father, Tim, and then the years they spent working in Aunt Ruby's brothel weren't much better. We watched Luke suffer other tragedies like the time he thought he had lost Laura forever and Lulu's battle with a life-threatening illness. Then there was the nightmare of being told his son's apartment had burned down with Lucky in it. And, of course, who could forget the devastating aftermath of Luke realizing he'd killed his own grandson, a young toddler, in a hit-and-run?

All of these absolutely awful things happened to Luke, and yet, by some miracle, Luke managed not to break. He bent and he cracked, but he never broke.

I'm not a Luke fan, mainly because I never truly got past Laura's rape at the campus disco -- something that today would be considered date/acquaintance rape. However, I appreciated his place on the show and was able to enjoy some of his adventures because I could respect that through it all, he was a survivor.

I'm deeply disappointed that I spent over a year looking for clues to Fluke's true identity, while suffering through endless scenes of his atrocious behavior as he made inappropriate advances on women; slithered around like a snake in the grass, carrying out the most heinous plots against characters I adore; and tortured me with countless sneers and vile remarks, only to find out that it was Luke all along -- just an alter personality. It was anticlimactic, to say the least.

Sadly, the DID defense has been overused in storylines these days. It's become the Ugg boots of soap operas. Cool when you first saw them but unimpressive now that everyone has a pair.

I'm sure I'll get over my disappointment because, despite the DID twist, this storyline will finally answer some questions I've had for decades about Luke and Bobbie's sister, Patricia. Why didn't she move to Florida with Luke and Bobbie? Why hasn't there been any contact between the siblings over the years?

Could Luke have witnessed good ole abusive Tim murder Patricia in the basement with Luke's Louisville Slugger?

I'm also curious when exactly Luke's DID was triggered and what triggered it. Was Fluke driving the night Jake was killed, or is that what set it all in motion?

Kevin is going to be a busy little psychiatrist with Luke and Jake to take care of, so I look forward to seeing Jon Lindstrom gracing our screens again soon. No offense to that temporary recast, but there is only one Kevin Collins for me.

I'm happy Jake decided to have that microchip in his brain removed because he was right; it was the only way to guarantee Helena's grip was severed and he could live free. However, I don't want him to wake up as Jason and just pick up with Sam where they left off because I like Jake, especially with Elizabeth.

Truthfully, I also love Sam and Patrick together. Patrick gives Sam the stability she's always needed to ground her and keep her focused on being a mother rather than a thrill-seeking adventuress. Sam is an admitted danger junkie, which is fine if you are childless, but she isn't.

Without Jason, Sam has become smarter. independent, and lighthearted, which is why I've grown to really like her. I don't want to see her change back into Jason's mob moll. True, things might be different this time around with Jason because she is a mother, but I'm not ready to find out yet. I like things as they are.

Perhaps that is why I wasn't too upset that Nikolas decided to keep mum to Elizabeth about Jason. I think he'll eventually come clean if Jake doesn't remember because ultimately Nikolas has a conscience and he loves both Sam and Elizabeth, but for now, it's fine if he keeps quiet.

By the way, I loved how Nikolas banished Helena to Cassadine Island after informing her that he had secured his inheritance and blocked her access to the Cassadine fortune. I love Nikolas catching her off guard, but Helena is nothing if not resilient. I have no doubt she still has a trick or two up her sleeve because she was just a tad too confident about Nikolas needing her help again in the future as she was carted away.

Finally, Spinelli returned to town with Georgie in tow, announced he and Ellie had split up because Ellie realized Spinelli was still in love with Maxie, and then asked Maxie to consider being a family with him and Georgie. It seemed a little out of left field, but I rolled with it and even felt a little sorry for Spinelli because it's clear to me that Maxie has moved on.

However, it really irked me how quickly Spinelli turned manipulative by trying to undermine Nathan and Maxie's relationship by using something Maxie had told Spinelli in confidence to plant seeds of doubt and insecurity between Nathan and Maxie. It was dirty and underhanded, which is exactly why I don't want Spinelli and Maxie back together.

I think Spinelli and Maxie's time has long since passed. They tried and failed to make things work too many times to count to think things would be any different this time around, even with Georgie in the picture. In fact, it would be a much bigger mistake to get together because of Georgie, since they would not only end up hurting each other but their daughter, as well, when things inevitably fell apart.

Maxie and Nathan work because they balance each other out, whereas Spinelli and Maxie are too much alike, so they tend to enable each other's worst instincts. It's those grays Spinelli claimed he and Maxie had in common that always got them into trouble and led to their destruction as a couple. That's why I liked Ellie with Spinelli. She fit his quirky personality but also made him a better person by gently steering him away from the wrong path.

Nathan does the same for Maxie, which is why I don't want her ruin things with Nathan by even considering Spinelli's offer. Sure, she messed up with Johnny, but she appreciates that there were ramifications for her actions that she hadn't realized, which she wouldn't have realized without Nathan's insight.

Helena teaching Spencer to waltz was priceless. I absolutely loved that scene because Constance Towers is such an elegant and graceful lady. I just hope when I'm her age I'm a fraction as lovely as she is.

While we are on the subject of the Cassadines, Chandler (Spencer's driver/bodyguard) cracked me up when he opted to sit at the counter in Kelly's to watch the children rather than join them at the table for breakfast. I have no idea what Nikolas pays that man, but Chandler should be able to retire comfortably when he leaves their employment.

Doctor/patient confidentiality is a tricky beast at GH. First, a nurse talked to Olivia about rescheduling an OB/GYN appointment in front of a bunch a people gathered around the elevator, and then Patrick chatted away to Sam and Carly about Jake's surgery and the prognosis.

Spencer asks Nikolas about Spencer's birthday party plans Spencer

: "Did the clever favors arrive?"Nikolas: "Check."Spencer: "Giant cake?"Nikolas: "Check."Spencer: "The mountains of candy?"Nikolas: "Everything is taken care of. Now school. Come on, let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go."Spencer: "And now that great grandmother's taught me, the deejay must play a waltz."Nikolas: "I'm sure that'll go over big with your friends."

Helena relishes the way Nikolas allowed his Cassadine-freak flag to waveNikolas: "Now that I've arranged for you to avoid prosecution, I'm sure you're very happy."Helena: "Oh, yes, and I loved watching you yank Scott Baldwin's chain. [Chuckles] Till his complexion turned pomegranate."

Julian questions Alexis' commitment to him until she explains she persuaded Scott to drop the charges Alexis: "And then I told him that the taxpayers' money would be best spent in providing an airtight case against Luke rather than pursuing a loser case like yours."Julian: "Well, I'm convinced. What did Baldwin say?"Alexis: "He said a lot of things that I can't repeat, except you're free to go."Julian: "I'm free?"Alexis: "Congratulations, jackass. And you're welcome."

Nikolas confronts Helena about using JakeHelena: "Jason had no say in the matter."Nikolas: "I-I bet you were pretty proud of yourself, weren't you -- forcing Jason to free Faison, the man who tried to kill him?" Helena: "Well, what can I say? I have a deep appreciation for irony."Nikolas: "Game over."

Take care and happy viewing,Liz Masters

What are your thoughts on General Hospital? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.