An Emmy-winning family affair

The truth might have the power to set one free and yield great rewards, but it also has the power to ruin relationships and shatter family bonds. How far will some go for answers, and will the price of knowledge be worth the cost that some might pay?

Maxie has a crush on Peter!

I made that horrible realization when I noticed the smitten expression on Maxie's face as she waxed poetic about Peter during her little tte--tte with Sam. Peter is all kinds of wonderful, supportive, and understanding, unlike that mean, selfish Lulu, betrayer of friends.

Sam scored major points with me, which she desperately needs, by surprising Maxie with the box of Nathan's mementos that Sam had plucked from the donation pile back when Maxie was purging her home of all reminders of her dead husband. Sam had hoped that once Maxie calmed down and realized that she wanted some of Nathan's things, she'd be grateful that Sam had ignored Maxie's wishes. I loved how Sam used what she had done to illustrate that friends can do things with good intentions that sometimes turn out well -- and other times, not so well.

The lesson hit home because, in the very next scene, when Maxie ran into Lulu outside Kelly's, she was genuinely concerned when she saw that Lulu had broken her foot. Kudos to Lulu for wisely not pushing Maxie for more than Maxie was willing to give.

I take comfort in knowing that Maxie will have Lulu to turn to when everything with Peter blows up in Maxie's face. I do believe that Peter is a decent guy, but he's wrong for fostering a friendship with Maxie, knowing that the truth about his identity will destroy her when she finds out. And she will find out. Pretty much everyone in town is now hunting down Henrik, so it's only a matter of time.

The truth can't come out soon enough because Maxie and Peter need a little distance between them. The crush-vibe I get from Maxie and the besotted looks Peter casts her way during his unguarded moments feel wrong and much too soon. Nathan isn't even cold in his grave, and Maxie is very pregnant with his child. She should be focusing on getting ready for motherhood and perhaps finding a grief support group. Maxie hasn't even begun to deal with Nathan's death yet. She's only recently stopped crying and flinching whenever Nathan's name is even mentioned.

As a side note, it also feels wrong to write Detective Chase so Nathan-like. I'd much rather Chase develop his own personality rather than mimic a character who was killed off. If they wanted him to be like Nathan, then they should have recast the character.

Meanwhile, at the penthouse, Sam has returned from Switzerland, where she evidently found herself by stepping back into the past. Sam and Spinelli did their schtick and managed to get the goods on a bank manager who'd been syphoning off millions from various wealthy bank clients. Jason was awed by Sam's amazing skills as she talked a tough game and forced the bank manager to comply with her demands. Spinelli was in his element, too, hacking into the bank's computer system and playing matchmaker to Stone Cold and the fair Samantha. However, Jason and Sam were onto Spinelli, so they promptly booked flights home.

It's clear to me that Sam has made her choice. She announced that she wants to return to working as a private investigator, and she intends to cut ties with Aurora Media and leave it in Drew's capable hands. According to Sam, her calling in life is to be a private investigator. I hope this time around, she's able to finally get her license.

It's hard to believe anything that Sam says about her feelings and what she wants because she always seems to have these spiritual awakenings each time she falls in love or out of love. Sam wants Jason, so now she's back to being a ride-or-die chick, working as a private eye, courting danger -- and Jason.

But how is that going to work for Sam in the long run with two small children and an ex who might not want his daughter being raised in a household with a mob enforcer? Time will tell, but I hate that, once again, Sam is the one who will pay the highest price, not Jason. It's never Jason.

Jason doesn't make excuses for his choices because, for Jason, the end always justifies the means, even if he must step outside the law to accomplish it. Before anyone likens Jason to Robin Hood, remember that Jason doesn't work for the greater good -- he works for Sonny and Sonny's greater good. Jason doesn't see anything wrong with what he does because he never targets innocents, but as Scott reminded Sonny this week, sometimes innocent people get hurt anyway.

Sonny never meant to get Karen addicted to drugs and shatter her life, but that doesn't change what happened or his role in Karen's demise.

Jason is unbending. He doesn't fight for Sam, he waits for her to come to him. She does all the work and makes all the sacrifices. She always has. That didn't matter so much when it was just her because the risks that she took only impacted her, but things are different now because she's the mother of two.

At least Julian recognizes that he's a terribly flawed human being who made awful, shellfish choices, but Julian changed once he learned that he had children. He ultimately put his loved ones first and tried to mend his wicked ways. Unfortunately for him, his past caught up with him, and the ones he loved most were used against him. However, that didn't stop Julian from trying again, even though almost everyone had turned their backs on him.

Julian bought a bar, put his head down, and has kept on the straight and narrow ever since. I got the distinct impression that even Lucas recognizes that Julian is making a real effort. It was nice to see Lucas have a civil conversation with his father because I do believe in the power of forgiveness, especially when a person makes a genuine effort to be a better person. Julian has done that.

Michael Easton and Nancy Lee Grahn are wonderful actors, and I absolutely adore both, but I just find everything about Finn and Alexis painful to watch. Their antics aren't lighthearted and fun; they're juvenile and beneath two people who have clawed their way up from rock bottom and put the broken pieces of their lives back together. I don't begrudge Alexis and Finn wanting to have some fun, but pretending to be friends one minute then jumping each other's bones the next seems silly and, frankly, a bit done to death.

So was someone standing on Alexis' porch and getting a front row seat to an illicit tryst on Alexis' living room floor, compliments of the countless windows lining the front of the house. Close the blinds, Alexis!

Not that it matters, because it's pretty clear that Finn still has it bad for Anna. If Robert hadn't interrupted Anna's confession at Kelly's, I'm certain that Finn and Anna would have ended up back at her place.

One of my favorite scenes this week was Robert's trip to Spoon Island to visit Valentin. Robert skillfully played Valentin like a fiddle and had him stuttering within minutes. I'm pleased that Robert is quickly putting the pieces together, starting with how Henrik ended up in Faison's hands. Not surprisingly, Robert is certain that Valentin delivered the infant to his papa all those years ago.

However, something has been bothering me about the timeline.

When we first learned that Anna and Valentin had history, they kept referring to their time in the WSB as a couple of decades earlier. I later assumed that the timeline had shifted because clearly Henrik/Peter is a bit older than twenty.

Additionally, Anna mentioned during her talk with Robert on Monday that her encounter with Faison had transpired prior to her meeting Robert, which means that Henrik/Peter is Anna's firstborn child. Henrik had to be born prior to 1976, since Robin's birthdate is October 12, 1977.

Yet, on Friday, Robert asked if Valentin had been in Bern, Switzerland, twenty years earlier. What does that matter? Valentin and Henrik being in the same European city when Henrik was an adult doesn't mean anything, let alone confirm that Valentin had been the one to hand Henrik over to Faison.

I hope Monday's episode sheds some light on it because the disconnect with the timeline is driving me nuts.

In other news, rumors are swirling that Hayley Erin might soon exit as Kiki Jerome if her pilot, The Perfectionists, takes off. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I want the actors to have great success in whatever endeavors they pursue, but on the other hand, I selfishly don't want them to leave the show. Doubly so when they finally have a good storyline, which is the case with Kiki.

This week, Dastardly Dr. Bensch stepped up his campaign to smite Kiki for rejecting him. He practically landed a gut-punch to her midsection when he roughly handed her a patient's chart, he rudely ignored her when he didn't need to, and he was curt and downright aggressive as he pressed her to diagnose a patient's head injury. Griffin noticed and offered to address it with the proper personnel because no one should be treated like that, but Kiki foolishly declined -- a decision she will soon regret because David's beady eyes narrowed with jealous suspicion as he watched Griffin comfort her.

Griffin is also having a tough time because he's tormented about keeping Peter's true identity a secret, and he's uncomfortable witnessing Ava's ruthless side as she goes up against Sonny. Ava is determined to use Mike's freedom as leverage to gain full custody of Avery. Carly wanted to use the nuclear option by threatening Ava with Paul Hornsby's recording of Ava's confession to Connie's murder (I forgot that thing still existed), but Sonny declined. Sonny was confident that he could handle things until Diane informed him that all the old mobsters are now using the Alzheimer's excuse to wiggle out of paying for their past crimes.

Never mind that Mike was diagnosed with the disease prior to the incident with Avery or that one single conversation with the man would convince anyone that Mike is struggling. I find it absolutely ludicrous to suggest that an attorney of Diane's caliber would dismiss a very real defense because others had abused it. What kind of lawyer is Diane if she can't even defend the truth?

Speaking of truth, Franco is still reeling from everything that went down with Jim Harvey. He's overwhelmed by the memories, worried that the past had warped him into following in Jim's footsteps, and he feels profound guilt for all the victims that followed because he hadn't been able to stop Jim. Kevin helped Franco understand that he's seeing everything from an adult's perspective rather than a child's because a four-year-old child couldn't have the tools needed to deal with a monster like Jim.

I loved the talk that Drew and Liz had, but I once again felt let down by Drew and Franco's encounter because I want them to have a real talk about the past. For me, that's the most important relationship to address because their first four years together had a lasting impact on both boys. I think it's important for Franco to tell Drew the truth about what Drew meant to him when they were children because Franco needs to come to terms with >all of the past if he hopes to truly move forward with Liz. I think Drew needs it too.

I know nothing lasts forever on soaps, but I do hope that Franco and Liz get their happily ever after. They've been through a lot together and deserve it.

Finally, it's Emmy weekend. Be sure to check out the front pages for all the latest Emmy news, red carpet interviews, and of course a complete list of all the winners, including those on Sunday night. Good luck to all the nominees, especially everyone on General Hospital.

Shame on Jordan. At the very least, she should be having regular mammograms and yearly screenings. I was disappointed to hear her say she hadn't had a checkup in years. That said, I seriously doubt that's the end of her cough. Why raise a lung cancer scare only to quash it by the end of the episode?

It's really no wonder that Nelle can easily manipulate people when everyone carelessly leaves their front doors ajar, especially during uber private conversations. I'm looking at you, Ava and Griffin.

Why hasn't Sonny hired a full-time companion to help with Mike's care and keep track of the poor guy?

Joss has been playing matchmaker between Michael and Nelle since Day One, even longer than her mother has been doing everything in her power to keep them apart. I think Michael should just let Joss and Carly fight it out, and then go with the winner's decision. Everyone's trying to run his personal life anyway. He may as well just get out of their way and let them call the shots. -- Scrimmage

Just read that Jacob Young has been dropped to recurring from B&B. Maybe he will return as Lucky and give Franco some competition for Liz. Just sayn'. To possibly disappointed Liason fans, I don't see Liz and Jason together again. -- Dreyne Smythe

The body in Croton wasn't Sonny's first "hit" job. Sonny told Jason that he'd "found Joe's problem wrapped in a plastic shower curtain in the trunk of the car," and Sonny had taken care of it. This is even in the recap dated 04/06/18 on this website. So, if Sonny didn't use precautions when throwing the gun in the ground with the body (D'oh!), his wouldn't be the only fingerprints on it, and they would be smeared because according to Sonny he had wiped it with a handkerchief. -- RedRocks

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. I love hearing from readers, so please feel free to email me or leave a comment below.

Take care and happy viewing,Liz Masters

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