Blinded by the dawn of a new day

Cults with agendas, identical twin blindness, and where in the world is Dante? February sweeps is here, and things are kicking into high gear.

It doesn't take much, really, to lead Police Commissioner Jordan and Ace Detective Chase astray, does it?

Sure, the police should look at every piece of evidence, but they should also consider the possibility that the killer is once again trying to lead them down the wrong path, like when the finger of suspicion was pointed at Carly then Griffin. Before calling Franco in for questioning, shouldn't Jordan and Chase have at least checked Peyton Mills' phone records? His email? Anything that would show that Peyton had, in fact, reached out to Franco? I ask because I know that if they had done those things, then they would have discovered that the note was the only single piece of evidence linking Franco to Peyton.

I know this because Franco is innocent.

Granted, the police don't know that, but they do know that Peyton was working on a documentary about Ryan Chamberlain, a serial killer who murdered his victims in a very similar fashion to the recent murder victims found in Port Charles. A man whose twin brother has a connection to each of the victims. Kevin worked with Mary Pat, he talked to Peyton Mills at length about Ryan, and he's dating Kiki's mother. Also, he's in middle of divorcing Lulu's mother. And, most importantly, Kevin has a documented history of having posed as Ryan for a period of time after suffering a breakdown.

Obviously, Kevin is not the killer, but why are the police not looking at him? Everything about him screams prime suspect. He's acting out of character, as evidenced by his sudden split from Laura and his shocking affair with a notorious woman that no one who knows Kevin would ever imagine him being attracted to. He's also inserted himself on several occasions into the investigation, and each time there's a suspect, he gives the police a perfectly plausible explanation for the suspect's sudden deviant behavior.

My criticism isn't reserved for just the bumbling cops, who couldn't even catch a killer who had gone blind in the middle of a crime and was literally right under their noses. No, I also have issues with the staff at Ferncliff, who don't seem to bat an eye at the strangeness of a doctor treating a patient who looks exactly like him. A doctor who had an infamous identical twin who had once terrorized the city to such an extent that they commemorated the 20th anniversary of his death in a series of newspaper articles and at the Museum of Mayhem.

Not one person at Ferncliff saw Lulu's series on Ryan Chamberlain? Not one person questions the medical ethics of a psychiatrist treating his doppelg�nger?

Even if I were to believe that, I can't believe that the nurse would accept any doctor withholding emergency medical attention from a patient who'd lost his sight after an excruciating headache. I'm not a lawyer, but I do know that all kinds of rights had to have been violated by Ryan's refusal to allow Kevin to have medical treatment for his blindness. Last I checked, Ryan did not run Ferncliff. He was simply one of several doctors on staff, so someone should be able to override his order.

All hope is not lost, though. The nurse didn't look the least bit happy with Ryan when she left, and Kevin cleverly managed to set Ryan up by claiming that Kevin and Laura had had a prenup. Ryan's diabolical little eyes lit up with greed at the thought of taking Laura's money, so he wasted no time putting a bug in Alexis' ear about it. He's going to be furious when he realizes that Kevin tricked him, but with any luck, that will be the thing that finally sends Laura to Ferncliff, looking for answers.

I want Ryan caught. It's hard to enjoy him when everyone has to look inept to keep the storyline going.

I was pleasantly surprised, though, that the writers decided to revisit a storyline that I'd been really interested in seeing unfold, only for it to seemingly be dropped once Jason returned home and it was revealed that Drew was his twin brother.

I'm referring to the Patient 1 to 6 storyline that heralded Jason's return. We know that Jason and Drew had been part of the experiment, and now we have confirmation that Anna and her twin, Alex, as well as Kevin and Ryan had all been a part of the experiment conducted by Dr. Arthur Cabot. That's three sets of twins, or, as I like to call them, Patients 1 to 6.

It didn't escape my notice that we didn't get a glimpse of Dr. Cabot's face when the photo of the mystery doctor and Alex was shown. Was his face obstructed from view because we might recognize him? What if the doctor was more involved in the project than as a researcher? What if he's the evil twin of a beloved character?

There are so many delightful possibilities, and I'm eager to see where it all leads. I'm also thrilled that Robert Scorpio will be a part of it. Finn needs friends, and Robert is a darn good friend to have.

Speaking of dropped storylines, I was shocked when Ava sought Olivia out because of Liv's psychic visions. I had forgotten all about her visions during another serial killer's (Paul Hornsby) reign. My heart broke for Ava because she's clearly desperate, and a part of me had hoped that Olivia could give her answers, but in the end, I was happy that Olivia admitted that her LSD-induced visions had ceased years ago. It sucks for Ava, but it's for the best. Olivia's visions were annoying.

Ryan will be caught soon enough, and when that happens, he will have to face Ava's wrath. It. Will. Be. Epic.

Franco had quite the busy week. Between baking with Aiden and interrogations, Franco took some time to find all the literature that he could on how to raise an LGBTQ child. It was sweet of Franco, but I was delighted when Brad and Lucas put the brakes on things by urging Liz to just focus on providing her son with a healthy and accepting environment for when Aiden is ready to discuss his sexuality. Lucas suggested that she start by inviting him and Brad over for dinner, which I thought was an excellent idea.

The truth is, bullying isn't about torturing a person with the truth. It's about hurting the person.

Just because Aiden's classmates call him "Gayden" doesn't mean that he's gay. Is it possible? Sure, but again, bullies aren't saying those things because they are bastions of the truth. They say those things because they were taught that those things are bad, and their goal is to inflict the pain.

It bothered me a bit that everyone seems more concerned about if the kids were right rather than holding those kids responsible for their behavior. This isn't just "kids will be kids" because those kids will grow up to become the tormentors of tomorrow. The boss who thinks he has the right to leer at your breasts during a meeting, the girlfriend who slaps or scratches you during an argument, the coworker who talks trash about you to get that promotion, or the troll who judges you harshly from behind the safety of their online anonymity.

How is Aiden ever going to learn to stand up for himself when no one shows him the way? How is he ever going to have trust in the system when the system does nothing to protect him? Our school system has policies in place that discipline children who bully, but it also has to be followed up at home. Lulu was on the right track, but unfortunately, Nina derailed her.

Franco's heart is in the right place, but Lucas was right. You can't push someone -- especially an eight-year old -- about their sexuality. I love the idea of Liz and Franco reading up, in the event one of the boys -- not just Aiden -- identifies differently than their preconceived notions.

As an aside, I find it rather strange that Aiden's love for baking is seen as anything other than something cool. I do the lion's share of the cooking around here because I'm a stay-at-home mom, but my husband is a wonderful cook in his own right, too. We've spent countless hours in the kitchen with our children, laughing, talking, and passing along recipes handed down through the generations.

I appreciate that the point was for Franco and Liz to question if there was some truth to the bullies' accusations, but I thought that had been the point of Aiden's love for all things Princess Kalinda of Everwood.

I adore Aiden, but I'm more interested in the adults around him. Specifically, Liz and Franco's wedding. At this point, I don't care if they go to the courthouse and tie the knot; just get it done because their family unit with the boys is one of the best things on the show right now. Franco is great with each of Liz's sons, and it's about time that Liz had someone with whom to share the wonderful journey of raising three great kids.

Sam put that dream on hold a bit longer because she is more certain than ever that Shiloh is up to no good. Daisy's confession rang hollow to her, so Sam decided to get to the bottom of things by feigning a broken heart and crying on Shiloh's shoulder. Does Sam have reason to be concerned?

I don't know. I'm so conflicted about Shiloh because, at times, he appears to be exactly what he claims, but then he goes and makes a sleazy move by touching both Sam and Kristina in a not-quite-so-innocent way. The camera staying on each of the touches meant that we were supposed to take note of it, and I certainly did.

Folks, something was off with Daisy's confession. I agree with Sam, Daisy was way too teary-eyed and apologetic, but I feel like she was trying to convince Shiloh and Kristina more than she was Sam. Her reasoning was wishy-washy at best because it doesn't make any sense to go through all the trouble of finding a husband who had recently died then sending those ominous things all in an effort to make Sam more receptive to Dawn of Day. How exactly does threatening someone make them more receptive to a spiritual awakening?

I'm not ready to write Shiloh off, but I'm keeping a closer eye on him. Daisy might still be the overly devoted follower trying to punish the people who wronged the man she worships, but she could also be one of his pawns. Things are definitely heating up.

In other couple news, poor Drew decided to explore things with Kim just as Julian confessed the truth, declared his love, and secured a second chance with her. Does Drew have feelings for Kim, or did Carly convince him that he does? Time will tell.

However, I suspect that Kim and Julian are doomed. Not because Kim belongs with Drew, but rather because Alexis has decided to explore her relationship with Julian. She desperately wants to be happy the way that she was before Julian held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her.

It's no secret that I'm a Julexis (Julian/Alexis) fan, so their reconciliation would make me beyond happy. Yes, I know that Julian did terrible things, mostly to Alexis, but he's also genuinely turned his life around. If Sonny can be forgiven for all the horrible things that he's done to Carly, then surely Julian can be forgiven by Alexis.

However, there is the issue of Jonah. I'm not happy with Julian's role in that mess. I recognize that it's Brad's sin because he is the one who chose to lie about Wiley and to take Jonah, but Julian now knows the truth. He knows that Michael is Jonah's father. Julian became complicit after the fact, but that doesn't absolve him of wrongdoing.

If Julian and Alexis do find their way back to each other, then I want the truth to be out. I'm tired of Julian keeping secrets from Alexis. If that's the route the writers intend to go, then I beg them to reconsider. Better Julian and Alexis remain apart if it's just going to be more of the same old thing. I want better for them.

Who carries around a piece of folded paper with their number scribbled on it? Wouldn't a guy like Shiloh hand out little business cards with a Dawn of Day logo, address, and phone number on it?

So, a blind man managed to evade a hotel's security cameras? What about the ones in the elevators? Surely an upscale hotel like Metro Court has cameras in the elevators.

Sonny is looking for Dante. Does this mean that there's a recast in the works?

Millions of $$$$ for her brother's care?? (GMAB!) Somehow, I don't think law enforcement would be "okay" with Sam's swindling men, even if it was for a (supposedly) good cause! Stealing is stealing. L0L -- WideAwake in Sleepy Eye

Regarding Galena Illinois, it is not upscale...it is more of a historical town. It's a neat place to go antiquing. Why Marcus chose PC seems very odd to me. -- lovethosedimples

Let me get this straight. Lucy has two bodyguards to protect her from the Serial Killer, but the newly elected Mayor is running around town all alone, warning her daughter to lock her office door and to be careful? Where is LAURA'S security detail? You'd think the Mayor would have one even if there WASN'T a killer on the loose! -- Scrimmage

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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