The incredible power of love

Cameron's gesture of love touched Franco's soul, Molly and T.J. deepened their commitment to each other, while Valentin and Anna joined forces to save Peter -- from himself. The power of love can be a miraculous salvation in an epic disaster.

Folks, I love Cameron. It's not just because I've watched the character grow up before my eyes, although that doesn't hurt. No, it's because young William Lipton is such a wonderful actor, and Cameron is absolutely endearing. Just look at what he did for Franco when he saw that Franco had begun to lose his hair from the radiation treatments for the brain tumor.

What an incredibly sweet gesture.

I read some naysayers whine because Cameron's handsome dome wasn't shaved clean which suggests that they either like to complain or they completely missed the point of the gesture, which was to show his stepfather some support in dark times. I appreciate that Will had made a huge sacrifice for his role.

I know how I am about my hair, and I've raised several teens. Sure, hair grows back, but until then, if you don't like how it looks, you are pretty much stuck. It's a good thing the buzz cut rocks as much as Will's shiny locks do. Thank you, young man. Your hair was cut for a good cause because that extra step made for a touching sweet scene between Cameron and Franco.

Franco's relationship with Cameron is one of the best things on the show. Actually, I love the special bond that Franco shares with each of his stepsons. Franco was the one who helped Aiden work through being bullied for being different and embraced his mad baking skills. It was also Franco who was instrumental in getting Jake therapy when the poor child returned from being Helena's captive, and Franco helped awaken Jake's artistic side. If not for Franco, Jake might never have recovered from being Helena's pawn to unleash the Chimera biotoxin.

However, it's Franco's relationship with Cameron that has been the most fascinating to watch evolve, in large part because Cameron had been the most resistant to accept Franco into the family dynamic. That all changed the night that Franco insisted on taking Cameron's place for Shiloh's nefarious science experiment. Arguably, Franco's finest moment.

I understand why Franco asked Jason to kill him if Franco's homicidal tendencies should resurface. Franco's killing days were violent and quite grisly because part of what drove him was the desire to mess with people's heads, especially the loved ones of his victims. In the grips of his brain tumor, Franco was capable of great evil.

However, Jason can't just go around killing people. He's not James Bond with a license to kill, nor is he the Grim Reaper.

If Franco vanished or turned up dead, not only would Liz and Cameron make certain that Jason was the prime suspect, but they wouldn't stop until Jason was locked up behind bars. They wouldn't be alone. Jake would be devastated if his father were behind Franco's murder. And that's exactly what it would be -- murder.

That's why my jaw dropped when Sam foolishly told Jason that Franco's behavior before Alexis' attack had scared her. Sam knows about Franco's request of Jason, so why in the world would she tell Jason there's reason to be concerned about Franco's behavior? I suspect that a part of her wanted to justify Alexis' fear of Franco, but still, it was a reckless thing to do. Jason isn't just an ordinary citizen; he's a mob enforcer with access to all sorts of untraceable guns.

I don't know what's going to happen to Franco, but I do hope that recalling Drew's memories is the worst of it. I adore Roger Howarth, and I don't want him going anywhere. Franco's relationship with his stepsons perfectly illustrates that parental bonds don't necessarily require a blood tie, and he's been the only consistent father those boys have had. Plus, I find it refreshing to see a happy middle-class family represented on a show where most live a glamorous life.

Case in point, Nina. Poor, poor Nina. She has oodles of money and tremendous success in her chosen career, but there's extraordinarily little happiness in her personal life. She falls in love with men who routinely lie to and betray her, she was robbed of 20 years -- and her only biological child -- by her mother. When Nina finally learned the identity of her daughter, it was too late because Nelle had perished in a deadly fall from a cliff.

Maxie is right. Nina should ask herself, in Carly's shoes, would she have rushed to save Nelle, or would she have worried that Nelle might pull her over the edge with her? If Nina were honest, she'd admit that she would have hesitated just like Carly did. Even on soaps, people are not legally obligated to save someone if it endangers their own life, especially when the person in need of rescuing is a killer.

However, Nina was also right. Nelle did have a terrible childhood and a rotten father as a role model. It's sad and tragic, but unfortunately, it happens far more often than most like to admit. Abusive childhoods don't turn people into serial killers. Something more went wrong with Nelle, and I do believe that it might have been rooted in the overdose that Madeline injected Nina with when Nina was pregnant with Nelle.

Simply put, I think Nelle was born a bad seed. The first story that we heard about Nelle was how, as a child, she expected Carly to save her from a life with Frank, even though Carly was just a teen. Nelle remained as needy and fanciful in adulthood, but she was also diabolical. She didn't act out of impulsiveness or self-defense. She was cold, methodical, and focused when she put one of her schemes in motion. Worse, she was willing to kill to get what she wanted.

I will never forget that Nelle was willing to risk Wiley's life when she was still pregnant with him by throwing her heavily pregnant body down a flight of stairs to make Carly look guilty of attempted murder.

As much as Nina wants to believe that love might have transformed Nelle, I don't think having Nina in her life would have made a difference. Nelle was a narcissist who believed that she was entitled to everything her heart desired and more. No one was safe from Nelle's machinations, not even her child.

For Wiley's sake, I'm glad that Nelle is gone. I hope, in time, Nina focuses on the fact that she gets to have a relationship with Wiley. A relationship with Nelle would have resulted in endless tears and heartbreak.

If Carly were half as smart as she likes to believe she is, she would extend the welcome mat to Nina rather than issue empty threats. She would also admit that she would have done exactly what Nina did if their roles had been reversed. Obviously, Carly can't openly discuss Nelle's last minutes with Nina because she chose to take Jax's advice and lie, but Carly didn't have to threaten Nina by dangling Wiley over her head if Nina didn't kiss the ring.

Carly had won by that point. The FBI had once again closed the case into Nelle's death without filing any charges against Carly or Jax. Carly doesn't get to tell Nina how to deal with Nelle's death any more than Nina has the right to tell Carly how to grieve the loss of Sonny. Instead, Carly should just be grateful that she isn't being charged with obstructing an investigation and lying to federal agents rather than trying to bully Nina into playing nice.

Should Nina decide to sue Michael and Willow for visitation with Wiley, Carly will be to blame. Mark my words.

So, was Ryan behind that cockroach (ewww) and cryptic note that Ava received on Valentine's Day -- or is someone else responsible? Remember, Ava has a paternal sister named Olivia who has no qualms about threatening siblings and committing sororicide, if need be.

I understand why the writers keep bringing Ryan back, and I definitely have no problem with Jon Lindstrom getting some extra screen time, but I just hate that Ryan is practically invincible. It's terribly clich, and it takes away the shock value when something horrific does happen to him -- like when he was found with a knife sticking out of his back.

It's that type of shark-jumping writing that contributes to many long-time viewers being reluctant to believe that anyone is ever truly dead. Well, that and the alarming number of undead who are currently roaming the streets of Port Charles -- Anna, Robert, Nikolas, Laura, and Jason, just to name a few.

If the writers want to keep Ryan in circulation, that's cool, but stop giving him the Michael Meyers treatment.

While I'm hoping that Olivia Jerome has found a way to torment her sister from the confines of her prison, I suspect that Ryan was indeed behind the dark Valentine gifts. It was that returned letter addressed to S. Cassadine that sealed the deal for me. There is no reason for someone to send Spencer a letter on Ryan's behalf unless Ryan had personally requested it. The only reason that he'd do that is to torment Ava and Nikolas.

I'm not going to rule out Heather Webber as a wild card now that I know she's been sending fan mail and calling herself Ryan's number one fan. Oh, to see Ryan strapped to a bed in Heather's cabin as she hobbles him with a sledgehammer or whatever Kathy Bates wielded in Misery to break Paul Sheldon's (played by James Caan) ankles. Perhaps another Sweeps.

In the here and now, I don't think Heather is sending things on Ryan's behalf. Although, to be honest, I have been expecting Heather to rear her crazy little head ever since Peter posted that article about Franco's brain tumor in the Invader.

Things are not going well for Peter. The walls are closing in on him as he prepares for his wedding. Will his numerous crimes finally be exposed? Oh, how I hope so, because I do not want Maxie married to that man for even a minute. I don't care about Jason and Drew's kidnapping and all that jazz about Peter being Helena's partner. Not only does everyone already know that Peter had been involved in the kidnapping, but it's laughable to suggest that Helena saw Peter as anything other than a pawn.

Helena only had one partner, and that was the Devil himself.

Peter's greatest crime will always be Drew's "death," while his worst sin is coveting his brother's wife. In recent months, I've begun to see that Peter never really loved Maxie. It has been an obsession. Any doubt about that was eradicated when Peter made that nasty vow at Nathan's grave to obliterate any memory of him. If Peter had genuinely loved Maxie, he wouldn't be jealous of a ghost. He would understand how important Nathan had been to her and help her honor his memory for James's sake.

I hope that Maxie heeds that cold place in her heart that she felt when she asked Nathan for his blessing to marry Peter. The fact that Maxie is questioning if her feelings for Peter are somehow wrapped up in her feelings for Nathan says all that I need to know. Maxie will be fine when all of this is over. I don't think she's any more in love with Peter than he is with Maxie.

It's for that reason that I'm thrilled that the double wedding day has finally arrived. I'm so ready for Maxie to learn the truth about Peter and for Finn to learn the secret that Anna withheld from him about Peter. It's not that I necessarily want Finn and Anna to break up, but at the same time, I won't be upset if they do because I find myself shipping Valentin and Anna more than I do Finn and Anna.

Perhaps it's because Anna trusted Valentin with her secret or that Anna was Valentin's original obsession, but I see more passion between Anna and Valentin than I do between Anna and Finn in recent weeks.

I like Valentin these days, so I don't want him to end up in the same toxic cycle with Nina now that she's free and enlisting his help to punish Carly. Then again, with Soap Central reporting that Amanda Setton (Brook Lynn Quartermaine) is set to return, it looks like Valentin won't have much time to focus on Nina. If you recall, Brook Lynn and Valentin enjoyed a night of passion shortly before she left town -- with a pregnancy test in hand.

Will Brook Lynn be hiding a baby bump when she returns? I sure hope so. Imagine Nina's reaction when that little bombshell explodes.

That's not the only paternity news lurking in the wings. I'm more certain than ever that Finn is indeed Chase's father -- and Jackie knew it. That's why she's so desperate to stop Finn from picking up those paternity test results from the lab; she knows they are going to confirm that Finn is Chase's father. I wanted to scream when Finn gave in to Jackie's pleading because everyone, especially "Harry," has the right to know the truth. Chase is a grown man in his thirties with a successful career as a police detective, not a little boy.

It seems to me that the only one who can't handle the truth about Chase's potential paternity is Jackie. Chase will not only be gaining a grandfather but also a sister. Granted, Finn betrayed his father by sleeping with Gregory's fiance, but Finn more than paid the price for that transgression by being denied a relationship for 30 some years with his son and father.

Unfortunately, Finn's delay in collecting those DNA results means there will be ample opportunity for Jackie to slip into the lab and change the results. I wouldn't put it past her, but I'm praying that she doesn't succumb to that temptation. Like I said, everyone is an adult, and it's time for the truth to come out.

Finally, Curtis has had an epiphany. Not only is he done with lies and secrets, but he is also ready to switch careers to get that fresh start that he's been seeking. Curtis has decided to sell his shares of the private investigation agency to Sam then use the money to buy a nightclub. When Jordan heard about Curtis' plans, she was crushed because she realized that it's a sign that Curtis is already moving on without her.

I want to feel sorry for Jordan, but I just can't. She brought this all on herself by picking and choosing the secrets that she shared with Curtis. It was a pattern that started long ago, so I can't blame Curtis for feeling like he will never be able to trust Jordan, because she doesn't reciprocate it.

I'm rooting for Portia and Curtis, even though I suspect that Portia is keeping her own secrets about Trina's paternity.

Congratulations, John York, on 30 years with GH! I've loved Mac Scorpio going back to the days when he had a charming Aussie accent and the hottest place in Port Charles called the Outback.

Speaking of old haunts, it's wonderful to see the Port Charles Grill back in circulation. It almost makes up for the Floating Rib being blown to smithereens.

Mike-Sonny has the same ego as Sonny. He was giving orders to the bar owners who saved him from being homeless. "Don't touch the chairs." I know he has an illness but that does not make himself centered any more than lack of meds made Morgan forget stealing is wrong. -- usingffalot

New drinking game: every time Carly or Nina touch their hair, flick their hair, toss their hair, we drink. we'd be drunk in a minute. Carly has no peripheral vision with that hair. why can't they exhume Nelle and do a DNA test? -- Germa3

This necklace business is beyond stupid! I wish I had never laid eyes on the damn thing, and now there's THREE of them! They're multiplying like the Bowl of Moss in Carly's kitchen. -- Scrimmage

I love hearing from readers, so please feel free to leave a comment below or email me. Take care and happy viewing,Liz Masters

What are your thoughts on General Hospital? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

What are your thoughts on General Hospital? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.