Married to the mob: Red weddings and Sonny days

A murder was solved, but another mystery unfolded as an enemy's bullet found its target hours before Sonny was to marry Carly -- for the fifth time. Will Hayden follow Kyle's path by covering for Nikolas or will she seek vengeance when her memory of Nikolas' betrayal returns? With new scribes poised to take over, our columnist takes a look at all the possibilities to turn things around.

First, a big congratulations to everyone who guessed correctly that Madeline was the one who was responsible for plunging a knife into Silas' back. Well done, dear readers, well done.

Alas, speculating was all that we viewers were left with because Silas' murder was a mystery without any tangible clues but rife with misleading innuendos.

I have always been a fan of Ron Carlivati's writing, but these past few weeks have been very disappointing. Scenes have been disjointed, abrupt, repetitive (please, stop with the flashbacks), and lackluster. It's as if the spark has suddenly been extinguished, which makes me wonder what happened that led to this mess and Ron being let go. The worm seemed to turn around the time of Tony Geary's exit.

I've read reports that scenes have recently been pulled and re-edited, but I have no idea if that is really true. However, it would certainly explain some of the problems with the show's lack of continuity.

Honestly, the feedback that I've read in both the comments section below and in my email has been far more interesting and clever than the direction of the show. Those who figured out that Madeline had killed Silas had had far more interesting scenarios for why Madeline killed Silas, including my favorite, which was that she did it to keep Silas from confessing because it would have vindicated Nina of Avery's abduction and foiled Madeline and Ric's plan to get their grubby mitts on Nina's fortune, since Nina would have realized that she was not insane.

That is far more believable than Madeline needing Silas to sign a document that he had signed once before. Wouldn't it have been easier for Madeline to simply change the date of the original document with Silas' real signature? Silas would never have known that the document had been the linchpin in Madeline and Ric's scheme.The only truly gripping moment in this disappointing mess of a murder mystery was Nina's confrontation with Madeline when Madeline was escorted to her well-earned jail cell. Michelle Stafford gave a brilliant performance when Nina realized just how little her mother cared about her only child by letting Nina take the fall for Silas' murder. You can't come back from a betrayal like that, even with Nina and Madeline's complicated history.

I suspect that Nina isn't quite as mentally unbalanced as Madeline wanted Carly to believe when the two mothers lamented about their troubled children over drinks at Metro Court Restaurant. Nina is a victim of being raised by a narcissistic sociopath, who'd likely had a hand in Nina's father's demise. Nathan escaped Nina's fate because he never stood between Madeline and the Reeves's fortune, since Nina's father had disowned him.

I just hope, with Madeline gone, that Liesl steps forward to be a mother figure to both Nathan and Nina. I think the family dynamics would be fun to watch unfold, especially since Liesl has a special place in her heart for Franco, and Nina has a jealous streak a mile wide. I've really grown to like Liesl, now that she isn't drowning in her obsession for all things Cesar. I can't wait until Nathan and Nina experience one of Britt's horribly dysfunctional Christmases with Liesl. It's going to be a riot.

You would think that Sonny would be a little more cautious on his wedding day, given the long history he's had of bad things happening whenever he takes a trip down the aisle to marry a new plaintiff -- err, I mean wife.

Do I think that Sonny met his maker on Friday? No. I doubt that he's even critically injured because Jake/Jason is nearby and will save the day as he always does, even with amnesia. Sonny's shooting was a great Friday cliffhanger, but I seriously doubt that it's the end for Sonny. I haven't heard a peep about Maurice Benard leaving the show.

That's the kind of news that would definitely produce a lot of smoke before we saw the fire.

At best, Sonny's shooting will delay things because Carly is not going to let a little thing like her groom being shot on their wedding day stop her from becoming Mrs. Sonny Corinthos again. She made it clear to everyone that she accepts all of Sonny, including his mobster lifestyle, which she knows means things like getting shot on your wedding day are possible and even probable. That she wasn't the intended target, like Connie had been, is just pure luck.

What I can't understand is why Sonny didn't bother to put on a bulletproof vest, knowing that he was walking into a lion's den. I get not toting a gun, but Sonny isn't Superman -- impervious to bullets. It also doesn't make sense that Sonny didn't have at least one guy on standby somewhere in case things went south, as they did. The writing was incredibly sloppy, and it made Sonny look completely inept as a mobster.

So, who pulled the trigger?

I don't think it was Julian, even though it appears that the writers are trying very hard to make him look guilty. If the murder mystery taught us anything, it's that the guiltiest-looking party is innocent. It's the least likely suspect that could be responsible, which makes me wonder if perhaps Ric is behind all of this.

Sonny should know that something is off, because why would Charlie, a man who just cut a deal with the district attorney to testify against his murderous boss, run straight to said killer and resume working for him by luring Sonny into a trap? Even the dumbest person on the planet would see how stupid that would be because the first thing any self-respecting gangster would do is kill the traitor.

I noticed that Charlie never actually confirmed that Julian was his boss. When Sonny confronted Charlie with the reminder that Charlie had named Julian as the mastermind behind the hijacked shipments, Charlie said something that I found interesting. According to Charlie, he had pointed the finger at Julian because Charlie knew that Ric had been waiting in the wings to cut Charlie loose. Did he know that Ric would let him walk because Ric was the real person calling the shots? It's possible.

I hope it's not Ric, though, because I've really enjoyed watching Ric and Sonny bond as brothers. Ric has done a lot of bad things, but there's something that I've always liked about him. I would hate to think that Ric is capable of pulling the trigger on his own brother, so I want it to be someone else.

One option is Paul Hornsby, since he appeared right around the time that Sonny started having trouble and he had access to a lot of money, which he claimed was from a successful business. I'm not fond of the idea that Paul might be mixed up in the mob because I like the idea of Tracy moving on with a reformed Paul. I also think that Paul would be a much better fit working with Tracy and Michael to restore ELQ to its former glory while taking down Nikolas Cassadine a few pegs.

Not everyone has to be a criminal rival; we can have some business rivals on the show.

One of the first things that I hope Passanante and Altman do is turn Nikolas back into the charming prince he used to be. I like the direction that Hayden is headed in now -- a good girl with a streak of mischief -- so I think she would be the perfect match for Nikolas. They definitely have better chemistry now that Hayden isn't being a heartless shrew.

Ideally, the person behind the gun on Friday was Mayor Lomax, who is long overdue to be taken down. She's been proven to be a crooked politician willing to break the law to further her own ends. It really wouldn't be a great stretch to imagine that she is making a grab for power by pitting Sonny and Julian against each other then sending in the police to arrest the man left standing and charging him with murder. Imagine the power that someone would wield as both mayor and secret mob boss. That kind of temptation would be hard for a person like Lomax to pass up.

It was mentioned several times that the order to cut Charlie loose came from Lomax, who pressured Ric to cut the deal. Was she trying to help her henchman wiggle out of trouble?

I don't want Julian to be back in the mob for two reasons: Alexis and Leo. I love Julian and Alexis as a couple, and I want Julian to have a chance to be a father to Leo. The idea of Julian being sacrificed to make Sonny right leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Am I missing something, or is Dante no longer Morgan's brother? Carly acts like Michael is the only one who can get through to Morgan even though Morgan has a deep-seated resentment toward Michael and has hurt Michael countless times.

I feel as if Carly is -- in part -- using the situation with Morgan to manipulate Michael to return to the family fold. As a mother, I can understand Carly being desperate and using every means necessary to repair her broken relationship with her son, but she needs to accept that Michael's relationship with Sonny is forever altered because of Sonny's actions -- good, bad, right, or wrong.

Carly should respect that Michael is an adult, so it's for him to decide when and if he will forgive Sonny. I think Michael was spot-on when he told Carly that he didn't think Sonny regretted killing A.J., but rather that it had hurt Michael and cost Sonny a relationship with a boy he had raised as his own.

One of the few shining moments this week were the scenes between Sonny and Morgan when Morgan staggered in drunk to confront his father on Sonny's wedding day about passing down the "crazy" gene to Morgan. It's times like those when I am reminded of why I like Sonny.

I was teary-eyed as Sonny talked to Morgan about the struggles of having bipolar disorder. I'm happy that Sonny was the one who got Morgan to accept the possibility that Morgan might need help and to agree to make an appointment with Kevin Collins. It was beautifully written and really seemed to come from the heart, especially Maurice's performance.

Sadly, I doubt it will be as easy for Morgan as visiting Kevin and getting on meds because Morgan truly is his father and mother's son. He embodies the worst of each of their personalities, especially their stubbornness and self-destructive nature. I can see Morgan balking at taking medication because it's not in Morgan's nature to ever take the easy path.

Okay, I had hoped it was a fluke, but after this week, I am forced to admit that I actually saw genuine sparks between Maxie and Dillon when Maxie auditioned for his movie. Please don't get me wrong, I adore Maxie and Nathan, but if the handsome detective isn't careful, he might have a little competition on his hands. Things should get really interesting when Kristina returns because something tells me she's going to zero right in on Dillon.

What I don't want to see is Dillon and Valerie continuing their farce of a relationship because they are as boring as watching paint dry, even as friends.

I find nothing likeable about Valerie anymore. I tried, but her constant sourpuss expressions whenever Lulu talks about Dante annoy me. I might have felt different if Valerie acted remorseful and guilty during her private moments, but she doesn't. It's clear to me that Valerie doesn't regret sleeping with Dante; she regrets that it wasn't justified and, more importantly, that she didn't get the guy. What I see when Valerie gently rubs her belly is a woman praying that she is pregnant so she can have another shot at Dante. Envy oozes from Valerie with each scowl whenever Lulu talks about Dante, and I don't see any attempt on Valerie's part to genuinely move on.

All that said, though, I see real cracks in the Falconeri marriage. Dante is lying to Lulu about something that can absolutely destroy his marriage -- more so as the lie continues to fester. Despite Dante and Lulu's determination to move forward, I can see a distance between them. There's an underlying tension in Lulu, especially when she obsesses about Valerie and Dillon getting serious. It reeks of desperation.

I want Dante and Lulu to survive this infidelity -- even if there's a bun in Valerie's oven. It will suck, but I want love to prevail, which makes Valerie the antagonist in this little melodrama. Admittedly, I'm a wife, so my views on this triangle are tainted. I would never root for the other woman unless the wife was evil and diabolical, which Lulu is most definitely not.

I try to keep in mind that all of this will undoubtedly change soon when Jean Passanante and Shelly Altman's work begins to air. The new scribes have promised a return to romance -- not sexmance -- so I hope they start by fixing the mess that Ron made of Dante and Lulu's marriage.

It's the beginning of September in New York, yet Sonny has a roaring fire in the fireplace and the veranda doors open.

For a house filled with people, Carly's place always seems deserted. I wonder if she keeps everyone locked out of the house during the day to prevent a parade of houseguests from marching through the living room during visiting hours.

Dare I hope that we will soon see Diane again, since Alexis mentioned her? I miss Diane's sharp wit and snark, so I hope she makes a return, along with Max. Philly might be a nice guy, but he's no Max.

Nathan and Dante confront Ric with incriminating evidence linking him to Silas' murder Ric

: "I-I've never seen this page or this -- this signature before in my life."Dante: "Ric, are you okay? You look a little -- a little weird."Nathan: "Yeah, he does look a little weird. Why you think that is, Dante? You think that's 'cause he's lying?"Dante: "No. You know, I don't. I think it's actually 'cause he's telling the truth for the first time in his life. I've never seen this before."

Oh snap, a bartender puts Morgan in his placeMorgan: "Come on, dude, really? This is -- this is what you call a double?"Bartender: "Same as what you pour when you remember to show up for work."

Nikolas talks about what it was like growing up CassadineNikolas: "I am ready for a day of fun in the sun, or at least as much fun as a Cassadine can allow himself to have."Hayden: "Oh, Cassadines don't have fun?"Nikolas: "Well, let's just say fun for us is usually confined to abductions, extortion, and evil plots. Taking it easy is not something that we normally do."

Take care and happy viewing,Liz Masters

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