Wassailing with the enemy

The holidays bring friends and family together, and in Port Charles, even the enemy can get an invite to the festivities. As we celebrate the joys and the spirit of the season, our columnist ponders why forgiveness is granted to some, but not others.

Well, folks, the holidays are upon us, and the soaps are celebrating them. I love this time of year, and I love seeing the season reflected on soaps. The festive dcor, the sparkly outfits, and even the falling snow add a wonderful ambiance to all the scenes.

As is traditional, the Q's will have their annual pizza Thanksgiving. That's not a spoiler; it's a fact. It happens every year, and this year, Monica's house is filling by leaps and bounds. The once quiet dusty hallways of the Quartermaine mansion are now filled with the pitter-patter of no less than three young children's little feet running around, a handful of adults, plus the assortment of visitors including the grand dame herself, Tracy Quartermaine, who is soon slated to make an appearance.

I was delighted when news broke that Jane Elliot was stopping in for a visit because I thoroughly enjoy her as Tracy and because Tracy should be coming home for the holidays to visit her son -- and now granddaughter. It would be odd if she didn't drop in for the occasional visit because Tracy has a big fat pocketbook and all the time in the world to travel. I can't wait to see what Tracy has been up to and to get some news about Luke. Did he ever find a new and kinder barber?

Earlier this week, I saw a comment on social media about Monica's invite for FrankenDrew to spend Thanksgiving with the Q's. The viewer was miffed that Franco would be anywhere near Sam's children because of what Franco had done to Sam in the past. I was a bit offended at the idea of FrankenDrew spending time with the Q's too, but for completely different reasons. More on that in a bit.

I found the viewer's take interesting. It's absolutely true that Franco did terrible things to Sam and Jason, but they were the lucky ones because they lived. Many didn't. What happened to Sam and Jason on their honeymoon was awful -- there's no denying that -- but ultimately, the "sexual assault" was a mind game. It never happened.

Additionally, despite Franco's heinous deeds, he was deemed not responsible for his crimes because of a brain tumor. A feeble soap opera defense to be sure, but that is what we were given. In the land of Port Charles, Franco is "cured."

I would think that Sam, more than most, might appreciate what it's like to be driven by something beyond her control. Wasn't she a victim of a brain parasite that made her have crazy hallucinations that eventually drove her to try to kill Sonny? Everyone readily forgave Sam -- including the victim -- but not Franco. Never Franco. Despite the very obvious fact that he hasn't committed a CO77X murder since the tumor was removed, he is still considered as guilty as sin. He doesn't get a medical pass like others have.

I have no issue with Franco being around Sam's children because he's not the same person that he was during his serial killer days, and Monica has a nanny and a great big house with lots of extra eyes keeping tabs on things. They are safe.

Frankly, I take issue with how everyone treats FrankenDrew like he's Drew. Not only have they not had a memorial service for Drew, but they all know darn well that Franco is merely a vessel for a few of Drew's memories. The download was not complete, and to suggest that Franco is Drew is insulting to Drew's memory. Also, if they can so easily accept that he is "Drew," then why can't they accept that a brain tumor made Franco a serial killer?

I honestly don't understand how Monica can hate Franco but love FrankenDrew. It's like hating liver and loving liverwurst.

I'd like to think that the lack of a memorial service for Drew is a sign from the writers that they have plans for the character's return. If so, then I forgive them. It was a huge mistake to write off Drew and try this bait-and-switch with Franco. Hopefully, the memory mapping reversal works, Franco can go back to his family, and Drew returns to break Sam out of jail.

What in tarnation was that kangaroo court that passed as Sam's bench trial? The prosecution shows up late, submits zero evidence to support his claim other than hearsay and supposition, and the judge suggests there were other options? Really?

I'm not a lawyer, but I watch enough crime shows to scare my husband into sleeping with one eye open, and I'm on most of my friends' "Who to call if you need to get rid of a body" list.

Let's start with the fact that, at the time of his death, Shiloh was an escaped prisoner who had kidnapped two children and an adult. Not only was he breaking the law, but he was desperate and had nothing to lose. He was a danger to society as a whole and Sam in particular.

Additionally, how can the judge suggest that Sam should have stepped away from a deadly encounter between a man with a lethal gaffing stick and the unarmed man she loves? Really? Just because Jason had been victorious in the past was no guarantee that he would be sole survivor in this particular fight. Remember that kid David who defeated Goliath? I'm pretty sure the odds that day were in favor of Goliath, not the little pipsqueak with a stone. Jason isn't invincible, and the law states that if you believe that someone is in imminent danger of being killed, you can kill in defense of that person. It's called justifiable homicide, and that is exactly what Sam did.

It doesn't matter that Sam hated Shiloh or that she's happy that he's dead. The burden of proof is on the prosecution, not Sam, and the mitigating circumstances are all on Sam's side. Finally, Sam should have been remanded to a federal, not a state, prison. The FBI prosecuted Sam, not the state of New York.

I'm not sure what's going on with Kelly Monaco's contract -- there have been all kinds of rumors -- but this was not the way to sideline the character. They could have put her in a coma, had her kidnapped, or any number of interesting things that would have left the door open for her full-time return. This wasn't even dramatic; it was stupid.

Also stupid is Jason leaving the kids with Monica because being at the penthouse would be too much of a reminder of Sam. What kind of nonsense is that? Not only would kids want to be as close to their mom as possible, but Scout is two. She, more than anyone, needs reminders of her mom, who might be gone for up to two years. I realize that Danny said that he'd rather stay at Monica's, but he's a kid, and what he needs is consistency and stability. Avoiding your problems is not a good message to teach kids.

I don't understand how Jason can be a parent if he's not even living with the kids, and frankly, I'd be apoplectic if my husband had dumped the kids off at their grandmother's the minute that I was out of the picture.

Speaking of children, Finn is embracing fatherhood, and he has Anna's complete support. A few heart-to-heart talks, and things appear to be back on track between Anna and Finn. Good thing, because Hayden is up to her neck in trouble now that Valentin knows about the painting and the codicil.

Valentin killed Cassandra by blowing up her boat, so murder is definitely not off the table for him. Nikolas recognizes that, and I suspect that is why he went to such great lengths to convince Hayden to leave town without Violet.

I hate that Rebecca 's stay has ended so soon because I had really looked forward to seeing her shake things up around Port Charles. We need characters like Hayden to keep things interesting and people on their toes. I realize now that her return was for Finn to finally learn the truth about his child, but I'm so disappointed that we won't get more.

I take comfort in knowing that this isn't going to last because once the world knows that Nikolas is alive and there's a codicil, Hayden should be safe. Valentin's beef is with Nikolas, not Hayden. It might be goodbye, but not for long.

It appears that we will also soon be saying farewell to Mike, as well, because his Alzheimer's has taken a heartbreaking turn. It was hard to watch those scenes with Stella explaining to Carly and Sonny that Mike's disease had progressed to the point that's it likely that Mike will no longer recognize them. Mike appears to be trapped in the distant past as his disease advances. If Sonny and Carly needed any reminders that Mike was declining, finding him with Donna was enough to wake them up. I know I held my breath until the infant was safely out of her grandfather's arms.

Anyone who has had a loved one suffer from this awful disease knows that this was inevitable. Alzheimer's is both ruthless and relentless. It was hard watching those scenes, and my heart bled for Sonny. Sadly, I think these past couple of years have been the closest he's been to his father, and now he has to watch Mike fade away. It's incredibly heartbreaking.

Unless Andre can use that memory-mapping technique to buy Mike some time. Hey, if Franco can get Drew's memories, then Mike can have a miracle, too. It's a soap opera. Anything is possible, and I love Mike. Max Gail is an absolute treasure, and I wish there was a way to keep him around.

So, was it my imagination, or did Dev smirk a bit when his secret was finally revealed to the teens? Did he mess up on purpose because he wanted things out in the open?

I can't imagine why Dev would do that, but I also thought it was pretty questionable how someone who bragged about how good he was at deception would get his own backstory that wrong. Sure, one slip-up might happen, but he messed up everything.

Cam and Trina agreed to keep the secret, but how fair is it to expect two teens to keep a secret like that? More importantly, what happens when Cam figures out that Dev has a little crush on Josslyn? I don't think Cam would act out of spite, but I could see him saying something if he thought he was protecting Josslyn. I have a feeling that this is not going to end well, least of all for Dev.

Julian's little plan for Brad is also doomed to end in disaster.

I love Julian, but I'm so incredibly disappointed that he decided to tamper with Brad's car to deal with Brad instead of just telling Lucas the truth. I know that Brad threatened to tell Sonny that Julian had known about Jonah from the beginning, but Julian could have easily cleared his name by taking a page out of Brad's book and recording a conversation of Brad and Julian discussing it. Julian had the truth on his side -- until he tampered with the car.

I know that this might sound harsh, but I honestly don't care if Brad ends up dead. He's been actively keeping a father from his child, he's been lying to Lucas, he tried to get Julian to kill Liesl, and he doesn't think twice about throwing someone under the bus to save his own hide. Brad has no honor, and I'm pretty sure he lacks a soul.

That said, I think it's going to be Lucas who gets caught in his father's deadly snare, not Brad. I hope I'm wrong, but my soapy-senses tell me Lucas will be climbing behind the wheel of Brad's car.

Just like I knew that Kendra would return when Alexis approached Kiefer's grave then sat there in stunned disbelief. I was a little startled, though, that Kendra whacked Alexis on the head with a rock. She's lucky that she didn't kill Alexis on the spot.

The previews indicate that Kendra kidnaps Alexis, so chances are Neil is not going to be able to find them quickly. I can't wait for Monday. I'm not worried that Alexis will be killed, but that doesn't mean that it won't be harrowing. I look forward to the scenes, and to finding out what Kendra's connection to Shiloh was -- and the details about Kristina's pledge. I've always wondered what Kristina had told Shiloh about Alexis. Finally, we will know!

So, Drew has a secret locker in San Diego. How long before someone decides to go check it out -- and what will it reveal?

Only in Port Charles would two conspirators (Nikolas and Hayden) arrange a clandestine meeting outside the Harbor Master's office. Hiding in plain sight?

The Breakfast Club scene with the teens was quite enjoyable, even though there were some pretty shameless promotions going on. I like seeing the teens act like real teens, and I agree with Cam -- the original chip is best.

What is the deal with Laura Wright's wardrobe lately? I know Carly just had a baby, but that doesn't mean she needs to be running around dressed like Auntie Mame. Find something chic and stylish for the woman. I promise, no one is going to complain.

I wonder how long until Jordan decides to just give up the ghost and use a signal in the sky for Jason whenever there is a threat to the town. Perhaps Jason's official signal can be a motorcycle, so as not to be confused with the Bat Signal.

I want them to stop all this child kidnapping...first Jonah, then Cameron and now Charlotte. Shame to the GH writers. At this point I want Michael to get his son back and Brad go to jail where he belongs. And while they're at it, they can put Nelle in isolation for the rest of her squirrely life. -- Logic

I can understand Julian's dilemma. He knows if Lucas has to give up Wiley it will break his heart and I think Julian would gladly sacrifice his own relationship with Lucas if he really believed that the truth would never come out. But too many unstable people know the truth for him to feel sure about that, so his best bet is to tell Lucas everything. Even if Lucas turns his back on Julian for his part in it, it would be better for Lucas to hear it from Julian now than to be blindsided by somebody else later. The longer Wylie stays with Lucas, the harder it will be to hear the truth and give him up. As you all know, I've been a very harsh critic of Julian for being a weak, stupid thug, but I've grown to respect his commitment to change. Instead of taking the easy way out this time, I would love to see him man up and do the right thing by telling Lucas the whole truth. -- Daffy Sez

I am a new viewer (I have been watching since Michael E. Knight's first day), and I am loving the show! I also watch Y&R and was a fan of All My Children for many years. So, I am a fan of soap operas as a genre. Anyway, I am finding the show well-written and very well acted. Clear, well defined characters. -- Anne Towne Gerdes

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

Take care and happy viewing,Liz Masters

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