Change is in the wind and love is in the air

Sonny and Jason face a new threat, but is it the only one? Brando saved Carly, but the danger continues to loom over her family. Meanwhile, Michael is poised to be reunited with his son, and Valentin seems destined for a rude awakening. Change is in the wind, so brace yourselves because things might be drastically different when the dust settles.

Folks, what an exciting time to be a General Hospital fan. If you are looking for action, intrigue, romance, mystery, and one surprising plot twist after another, you've come to the right place. GH has all of that, and a prince!

Let's start with that bedeviled prince of Wyndemere because Nikolas has finally come to terms with the price that he must pay for letting his family twist in the wind for years while they mourned his greatly exaggerated demise. Nikolas' visit with Spencer was a rude awakening that helped put things into perspective for the dark prince. Then, nearly losing Laura in the crossfire of a mob hit gave him the jolt that he needed to stop making excuses for his poor choices and own what he did wrong. He hurt the people that he loved most for an act of revenge.

I'm happy that there has been a step toward reconciliation between Nikolas and Laura because he desperately needs his mother's influence and guidance. She makes him a better person, and I want that for Spencer's sake as well as Nikolas'. I'm also pleased that Lulu is following her mother's lead, albeit a bit slower, because Nikolas and Lulu have always had a special bond that went beyond his gift of life that saved his baby sister.

Maybe if Spencer sees that Nikolas has taken steps to mend fences with Laura and Lulu, he will feel more inclined to let his father do the same with him. I would love for Spencer to return home, so he can reconnect with his family and start healing. I think it would be wildly entertaining to have Spencer around, especially with Ava and Liesl living at Wyndemere. What a hoot Spencer, Ava, and Liesl would be keeping each other -- and Nikolas -- on their toes.

Until then, Nikolas is going to have his hands full with his new bride who may or may not be Nikolas' legal wife.

Some have suggested that because Nikolas was declared legally dead, his marriage to Hayden had effectively ended. However, on November 4, 2019, Hayden referred to Nikolas as her husband during a flashback scene when Nikolas approached Jax about working with Hayden to help locate the codicil. Plus, it's a soap, and what would the fun be in Nikolas and Ava sparking a romance without the relationship being tested?

If I had to guess, Hayden will make an appearance a few seconds after Nikolas and Ava realize that they are both deeply and irrevocably in love with each other. If that steamy kiss between the newlyweds in the hospital during Friday's episode is anything to go by, Nikolas and Ava are well on their way. I like the chemistry between Nikolas and Ava, so I'm rooting for them to find their happily ever after with each other, despite the bumps coming their way. They make a formidable team, which will serve them well when Valentin tries to reclaim the Cassadine empire.

For Valentin, it will be a matter of principal not birthright.

Valentin is destined to head down a dark and lonely path. I realized that when Valentin assured Martin that there was no question that Cassadine blood flowed through Valentin's veins and that the paternity test would prove it. Valentin sealed his fate; Helena is his mother, and he doesn't carry a drop of Cassadine blood. No way will Valentin take that news well.

As far as I'm concerned, Valentin learning that he's not a Cassadine will be karma for what he put Spencer through, while losing Nina to Jax will be payback for lying to both Lulu and Nina about their daughters.

I laughed when Valentin suggested that his despicable act of hiring Sasha to pose as Nina's daughter had been borne out of his deep and abiding love for Nina and that he cannot ever apologize for that. Really? He ripped out Nina's heart and destroyed her dreams, but he can't muster up even a little regret?

Nina deserves better. Valentin exploited Nina's greatest desire to manipulate her into giving him a second chance. He did it for himself, not for Nina. Valentin is obsessed with the idea of creating the perfect loving family that he was denied as a child. If Valentin truly loved Nina, then he would have found her daughter or told her the truth that her daughter could not be found -- not to give him an advantage, but rather to give her closure.

What Valentin fails to comprehend is that Nina wanted to find her daughter not just a daughter. It wasn't about being a mother as much as it was about reconnecting with a piece of herself that she had desired, cherished, and mourned. Valentin might be content to settle for an illusion, but Nina isn't.

I realize that Charlotte loves her father, but I think that both Valentin and Charlotte could benefit from some time apart. Valentin needs to feel the pain of being separated from his child to understand a fraction of the pain that Nina feels for the daughter that was taken from her. As for Charlotte, she could really use some quality time with her mother because Valentin spent years trying to minimize Lulu's role in Charlotte's life while encouraging his daughter to develop a motherly bond with Nina. What kind of crazy mixed-up message does that send Charlotte?

Not that Valentin appears to have much concern about that. Charlotte has been acting out for a while. Last year, she was bullying her own cousin, she had issues with other classmates because Valentin and Nina told her that she could do no wrong, and there was that incident when she was accused of cheating on a test. Now, Charlotte is using scissors to shred a photo of Sasha. Additionally, I'm fairly certain that Charlotte saw her papa shove Ava off the parapet because Charlotte made an appearance on said parapet while Ava's cries of horror still rang in the air. Also, Charlotte stopped to peer over the parapet at the exact spot where Ava had been standing only seconds earlier.

It's got to affect a child when the woman she's told is her mother suddenly vanishes from her life, the woman that she's encouraged to love as a mother keeps leaving papa, and the woman she learns actually is her mother is someone that her father tells her not to trust. On top of that, a grieving child accused Charlotte's father of murder, and she might have been witness to Daddy Dearest's latest attempt to snuff out a life. Valentin has put Charlotte through a lot, so a reset and extensive therapy with Kevin would do her a world of good.

Valentin has a lot of issues to work through, and he doesn't need to take his daughter along for the ride.

As Friday's episode drew to a close, we learned that Valentin and Martin have been keeping themselves busy by secretly going after ELQ from several fronts, including having a hand in the trouble that Brook Lynn has had with her skeevy music producer. It's become clear that the new dynamic duo was behind Luke's illegal tulip scandal and the pressure campaign against Tracy. Martin also took on Nelle as a client to get his mitts on Shiloh's shares of ELQ. While Michael and Ned circle the wagons to protect ELQ, Nelle is selling her shares to the highest bidder because she learned that Lucas woke up. However, I can't help but wonder if Valentin can pull a coup at ELQ without the Cassadine fortune to back him up.

We shall see, but I'm team Quartermaine all the way.

Folks, I think that we are finally at the end of the Wiley-is-really-Jonah saga. It's been over a year, which is an eternity for children on a soap opera. Lucas doesn't recall much from the moments before the accident, but he does sense that there's something he should remember. Meanwhile, Brad is squirming like a worm on the end of a fishing hook, Julian is glowering at Brad, and Nelle is kicking her plan to abduct Jonah into high gear. All signs point to a climatic conclusion just around the corner.

I have no worries that Nelle will get very far with Jonah if she does manage to make it out of town because she will not only have Chase on her trail, but the FBI, WSB, and the entire Corinthos organization headed by Terminator Jason himself. Unless there was a one-way trip to the moon or some distant galaxy on that vision board of Nelle's, there won't be any place on earth that she will be able to hide.

Once the truth about Jonah is out, I don't expect Lucas to stay with Brad. Brad's downfall will be sweet to watch, and I hope it includes the gauntlet of shame that will give everyone ample opportunity to vent their spleen about what a conniving, selfish, baby-stealing, lowlife Brad is for conspiring with Nelle to steal Jonah. What Brad did was unforgiveable if not illegal. I'm pretty sure in real life, there would be some kidnapping charges and a lengthy prison stint, but Port Charles only has Pentonville, so I'll settle for public humiliation and the misery of Brad watching Lucas find love with someone far better than Brad.

As for Valentin, besides learning that he's not a Cassadine, he, too, is facing some just deserts when he is forced to watch Jax sweep Nina off her feet. Not only is Jax doing a mighty fine job of it already, but Nina appears to be more than eager to see what Jax has to offer. She's smiling, blushing, and pretty much getting over her broken heart with surprising ease, thanks to a dashing and debonair man who has lots of practice helping women get their groove back.

James Patrick Stuart is a phenomenal actor, so I look forward to seeing Valentin embracing his dark side for a bit -- the side that made Helena tremble in terror at the mere mention of Valentin's name. It has the potential to be a really good story, especially if the endgame is for Valentin to find his way back to the light for the sake of the one person that truly does love him -- Charlotte.

I would also like for Valentin to find a new love, someone who can deal with the darkness inside him and be a shining beacon that guides him down the path of redemption, a person that Valentin doesn't have to bribe with an illusion to keep her by his side.

As much as I enjoyed the chemistry between Valentin and Nina, I've never felt that she was strong enough to love the real Valentin, which was why he always resorted to lies and manipulation.

Valentin and Nina aren't the only ones at a crossroads. Sonny, Carly, and Michael were targets of a coordinated attack orchestrated by an infamous drug lord named Cyrus Renault. Cyrus was able to plan the hit from his new digs at Pentonville, where male and female inmates mingle, guards are easily bought, and a parole hearing is a free ticket out as long as you are sorry and promise to be good. No one knows how Cyrus ended up at Pentonville, which means that he will soon be haunting the streets of Port Charles.

I was so excited when I learned that Jeff Kober had joined the cast as Sonny's new menacing foe. I've been a huge fan of Jeff's since his days on China Beach -- his glare chilled me to the bone, while his thousand-yard stare broke my heart -- so I'm eager to see what dastardly deeds Cyrus has in store for Sonny.

Alas, I don't think Cyrus is Sonny's only problem. Brando Corbin has surfaced, and his first act was to save Carly from certain death. Two minutes later, Jax was questioning when enough would be enough for Carly. Despite Michael's claims that Sonny is a "powerful businessman" the truth is that Sonny is a mob boss. He didn't rise to power by making good investments or winning debates against the other mob bosses. Sonny seized his throne through violence, and it's likely how he will meet his end.

Will Brando offer Carly an alternative to the constant wars that Sonny brings to the table?

Not only is Brando handsome, but we've already seen Carly display a certain level of protectiveness toward him. Good looks, heroic deeds, and a mysterious past are like catnip to Carly. However, it remains to be seen whether Brando is another troubled soul like Lorenzo Alcazar or a good guy. The fact that Brando was sporting a gun suggests that he's either a henchman for Cyrus who switched sides or law enforcement. Perhaps even someone working undercover in Cyrus' organization.

I also suspect that Cyrus is tied to Bob Massicotte's death, since Bob died of a drug overdose. I know Jordan called Taggert to ask for his help, but I wonder if he responded quickly because of Jordan or because Cyrus had recently been transferred to Pentonville. It wouldn't surprise me if it was the latter because I sense that Taggert is hiding something, and I'm not talking about his unrequited feelings for Jordan or that deep, dark secret that he and Jordan apparently agreed to bury and never discuss again, only to bring it up seconds before Curtis busted them conspiring.

That was an interesting little twist, and I can't wait to learn more about what Taggert and Jordan are hiding. Was there a baby named Trina involved?

Now, let's talk about Sam and her mission to get the goods on Peter in exchange for a new parole officer. Sam realized that there was trouble brewing in paradise between Anna and Finn and that it had to do with Peter, so she quickly pulled out a set of headphones from Scout's bag to cover those innocent little ears while the grown-ups talked.

Folks, I don't get Sam. Does she think that a new parole officer is going to be okay with her hanging out with convicted felons, mobsters, and other nefarious folks while she's on parole? Also, why would Finn confide stuff to Sam to help Anna? Anna is an international super spy on the same level as James Bond, while Sam twists her ankle trying to scale castles in high heels.

What can Sam do that Anna can't do for herself? If Finn needs help to save Anna from herself or Peter, I'm sure he'll turn to Robert, not Sam, since Robert is not only a retired international super spy, but he's also the district attorney of Port Charles with connections to the WSB and a bunch of other three-letter organizations.

It was equally difficult to listen to Sam offer Finn advice about safeguarding his daughter when Sam is trying to move heaven and earth to live openly with a mob enforcer who was just a target of a coordinated hit that left the mayor clinging to life. It was like watching a smoker lighting a cigarette then lecturing everyone to quit smoking, so I was quite happy when Finn called Sam out on it. Hat tip to the writers.

Finally, Emma arrived for a visit, and what a wonderful surprise it was. Brooklyn Rae Silzer has blossomed into a beautiful young lady. Where has the time gone? I can't believe how much she's grown, and we can't even blame it on SORAS (soap opera rapid aging syndrome). I felt positively ancient as she walked through Anna's door, but my joy at seeing Emma quickly overshadowed that.

Emma's scenes with Anna were great, and I'm eager to see what the writers have planned for Emma's time in Port Charles. I just hope that it includes bumping into Cameron because Cam could use a boost to his ego now that Josslyn has moved on with Dev. Plus, I wouldn't mind if Josslyn witnessed the encounter. Josslyn needs a little reminder that Cam is actually a good catch.

Sonny is to blame for quite a bit of heartache in Carly's life, but he is not responsible for Morgan's death as Jax accused. Olivia Jerome had Winston Rudge plant the bomb in Julian's car to kill Julian not Sonny. Morgan died because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Olivia Jerome is to blame, Winston Rudge is to blame, and Ava is to blame, but Sonny most definitely is not to blame.

Does anyone see even an iota of a resemblance between Brando and Dev? I don't, either. I have no idea how Mike mistook Dev for Brando when Dev has glossy dark hair and brown eyes, while Brando has golden curls and light eyes.

I could have sworn that Shiloh's shares of ELQ were in probate because Oscar had left conflicting wills, and there had been a question about the validity of the will that Shiloh had produced. No one should have access to those shares, let alone Nelle.

On Twitter, several of us noticed the bruise under Lucas' eye and the bandage on his head even though the accident was a few months ago on Thanksgiving. I know that diabetics can take longer to heal from injuries, but that long?

What I don't get about Nina is how she ever thought she could invite all the people who disliked Valentin and skewer him at the altar with Charlotte watching. She truly loves Charlotte. How did she think she would get what she wanted and not hurt the child she loves so much? -- Lisa Echerd

The writers just won't let go of this "international waters" concept of Port Charles. If PC is supposed to be on Lake Ontario, it's either US waters or Canadian waters. There IS no "International!" OK. I'm done obsessing now. -- Ladysmom

A Gang vs Mob storyline would be even MORE relevant now, with the increase in brutal gang violence in so many major cities, especially in the East. Unfortunately, all we're likely to get will probably be just a rehash of the old, "Generic rival mobster tries to take over Sonny's territory" storyline that we've seen a hundred times before, and always with the same end-result. SPOILER ALERT: Sonny WINS! Not exactly a shocker. -- Scrimmage

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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