Spy games and power plays

Loved ones gathered to say goodbye to Sean Donely, Maxie remained a step ahead of Peter, Britt took control of her fate, and Carly has a plan to clip Cyrus' wings. The lines are drawn, and the players have chosen their sides. Let the games begin.

Folks, it feels like we are in the final stretch of a long run, and it's a tightly packed race to the finish line. So many things are happening at once, I barely know where to begin.

I guess the first thing that's going to play out next week is the baby drama, since Maxie was given the green light to induce, and she just finalized plans with Bobbie to deliver baby Louise in Beechers Corners. Will Maxie be able to give Chloe -- and Peter -- the slip? I sure hope Bobbie was right about Sean watching over his goddaughter because Maxie is going to need all the help that she can get.

Peter is growing ever more delusional by the day, thinking that he's fooling anyone with his empty expressions of concern. The only thing that Peter cares about is Peter.

I can't tell you how happy I am that Maxie doesn't trust Chloe. I don't care how much money Peter paid the woman or what fairy tale he spun to get Chloe to cooperate, it doesn't justify lying and spying on a woman who is already dealing with a high-risk pregnancy. Also, nothing about Peter suggests that he's anything but a lying and manipulative bastard, and the fact that he paid Chloe a vast sum of money should be a huge red flag that he had nefarious intentions.

I'm really hoping that Maxie succeeds in keeping Louise away from Peter. All signs point to the plan working, mainly because it's obviously the reason why the writers had Brook Lynn return to the bosom of her family with a fake baby bump and half-baked plan. Plus, safeguarding Louise from Peter will earn major points with Valentin when he learns the truth about Brook Lynn's deception.

Valentin's little flirtatious exchange with Brook Lynn when Olivia made a big fuss about bumping into him wearing only a towel also bodes well for Brook Lynn. Valentin and Brook Lynn might have had a casual fling, but he seems to have a genuine appreciation for her. Additionally, let's not forget that Charlotte will be over the moon ecstatic when she finds out that she's once again Valentin's only child, which will no doubt go a long way in soothing Valentin's wounded ego.

Let's face it, Valentin really doesn't have much of a leg to stand on, given his own dubious history with baby secrets. If nothing else, Brook Lynn's lie is a bit of cosmic payback for some of his dirty baby deeds. Just look at the mess he made letting Faison raise Peter.

I don't know how or when, but Peter August must die. Preferably, Anna is the one to put us, err, I mean Peter, out of his misery, but at this point, I don't really care if Peter is hit by a beer truck or abducted by aliens, as long as he goes away and never returns.

A part of me worried that Peter was behind the shenanigans in Ireland when friends and loved ones gathered to say goodbye to Sean Donely, but that thankfully wasn't the case.

Friday's dedication episode to John Reilly was a wonderful stroll down memory lane, and I loved that Felicia, Mac, Robert, and Anna were all together. I also loved that Laura, Monica, and Robin were among the mourners. It's a testament to the impact that Sean had on the history of the show that all these years later, he still has such strong connections. He was Maxie's godfather, his daughter was Anna's namesake, and yes, he had romantic history with Monica.

The little mystery to help Annie Donely (played by John Reilly's real-life daughter, Caitlin Reilly) become a WSB agent was a fun adventure and a fitting tribute to Sean's legacy. Admittedly, I was hoping that it would be a vehicle to introduce Cameron Mathison and/or Roger Howarth's character, but the disappointment that it didn't happen was fleeting. Knowing that everyone had worked together to assist Annie more than made up for it.

My one big gripe about the tribute was that we only got Tiffany on speakerphone. I don't know why Sharon Wyatt was unable to film, but I wish they could have found a way to make it happen. It somehow felt wrong to say goodbye to Sean without Tiffany. I didn't like the excuse the writers gave her for not being there because any mother -- especially Tiffany, who had fought so hard to become a mother -- would have moved heaven and earth to be a part of her child's big moment.

It's not as if Tiffany didn't have any experience in the area of subterfuge. She was not only married to Sean, but she even worked with him a time or two. Then again, I don't think anything the writers could have penned to explain Tiffany's absence would have satisfied me.

Perhaps Annie will stick around to help take Peter down, and we will have a chance to catch up with Tiffany in the future. Fingers crossed.

In other news, Sasha's baby secret is out, and thankfully, she didn't take Carly's advice.

Folks, if I was in a terrible situation and Carly was the only person available to give me advice, I would wing it or do the exact opposite of what she told me to do. Carly is to a winning plan what the iceberg was to the Titanic.

I was pleasantly surprised that Sasha decided to be honest with Brando. That so seldom happens on a soap opera, and Sasha has good reason to worry about Brando's well-being. However, Brando deserves to know the truth, and if nothing else, he now has a good incentive to tread with caution around Cyrus until Cyrus can be neutralized.

That brings me to Cyrus and his exceedingly creepy fixation on Sasha. I just don't get it.

One of my friends thought that Laura's little speech about how Cyrus could never understand the love a parent has for their children was a bit of foreshadowing. It's her theory that Cyrus is Sasha's father. If so -- ew. Just. No.

The only thing that is clear about Cyrus is that he's attracted to Sasha. If she turns out to be his daughter, it would be a bridge too far for me. It doesn't matter that Cyrus doesn't know. That's just not a line I want my soap anywhere close to. I'd rather it be revealed that he's Brando's father than Sasha's.

I know Gladys claims to be Brando's mother, but it would not surprise me in the least if we were to find out that Gladys raised another woman's child as her own. Maybe it was a deathbed request from Gladys' best friend, or Gladys stole the baby. I wouldn't put anything past Gladys, and it would certainly explain how Gladys could so easily lie about her son being dead when he dealt with mental health issues and addiction.

No real parent would ever put such a horrible thought like that out into the ether for fear of it turning into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Gladys not only told everyone who'd listen that her son was dead, but she did it without impunity. It's for that reason that I don't trust Gladys. She's all about the Benjamins, and she's awful at reading people or even a room. Hence, she thought Sasha and Cyrus were an item.

It's actually a small wonder that Cyrus hasn't killed Gladys yet. If she can be bought once, she can certainly be bought again. Plus, why risk a witness changing her story?

Leaving Gladys alive has left the door wide open for Carly to get to Gladys, which is exactly what Carly had done. Carly wants Gladys to recant her story about seeing Jason dispose of the gun that was used to kill Franco because Carly believes that it won't only clear Jason's name, but it will send Cyrus back to jail. Except, will it?

First, how do you prove that Cyrus paid Gladys to lie? Cyrus could simply claim that Gladys had told him the same thing that she had told the police, and he had given her money to hire some personal security in case Jason sent hit men to silence her. Changing your story isn't evidence, and no way would I ever put a wire on Gladys because Cyrus would sniff that out in a heartbeat.

That bring me to the second fatal flaw in Carly's plan. If by some miracle, Gladys were to successfully get a confession from Cyrus about paying her to lie, Cyrus would quickly cut a deal in exchange for rolling on Peter.

I'm afraid the only way to send Cyrus to jail for any significant time would be to get him for one of the murders that he did commit or nail him for the drugs he's funneling through General Hospital.

That's why no amount of children or family connections can make Cyrus redeemable to me. He's a cold-blooded killer and a drug lord. I don't want Sasha to be his daughter, and I most definitely don't want Cyrus to be a part of her baby's life. It's bad enough that poor child is going to be related to Gladys.

Cyrus was having an all-around bad week. Not only are Carly and Sasha giving him fits, but his nephew is buying Pentonville. I love it. Not only did Nikolas find a clever way to keep Alexis safe, but perhaps now, Pentonville can finally have some real reforms, especially with Alexis on the inside, offering Nikolas some advice. Not that I think Alexis will be in there much longer. If Nikolas is running things, I suspect his first order of business will be to set up a parole board that would grant Alexis early release. Shawn Butler, as well.

I realize that Shawn's release will mean trouble for Nikolas, but I'm okay with that. Shawn made it clear that he would not take the law into his own hands, so if he does track the bullet that struck Hayden to the hit man that Nikolas hired, I trust that it won't end in bloodshed. Well, not much, anyway. Nikolas owes Shawn a pound of flesh.

Shawn paid for his crime. That's more than Sonny did, and Sonny was the one who sent Shawn to the garage that fateful day. Nikolas didn't make Shawn plead guilty to the shooting. Hayden knew the truth about Nikolas' role in the shooting, and she chose to keep that information to herself. If anything, Shawn's issue is with the people that held onto the evidence that could have cleared him. The bullet dug out of the garage wall was a match for Shawn's gun, which means that the bullet that struck Hayden came from another gun.

I want Shawn to have his second chance, to see his son graduate from medical school, and to find love again. But not with Jordan. That was such a toxic relationship, and it's time for Shawn to move forward. Also, Jordan needs some time to examine her priorities and set some boundaries between her private and work life, because it was blurring those lines that led to the breakdown of her marriage to Curtis.

Speaking of second chances, Chase is ready to leave the hospital, even though he can't really take care of himself. I get it. Being stuck in a hospital sucks. The beds are uncomfortable, you never get any significant rest because someone is always checking your vitals every few hours -- day and night -- and the food is seldom appetizing. I could go on, but you get the idea.

No one likes being in a hospital for an extended period of time, but sometimes, there's no choice. Chase has literally been poisoned with something that is designed to eventually kill him if he's not given an antidote. Perhaps if Finn were truly honest with Chase about what's going on, Chase would make a more informed decision. Chase is a detective, and he has an entire police force at his disposal to help Finn and Anna track down where Peter is hiding the stash of antidote.

It's silly that Finn -- and Anna especially -- don't want to utilize the resources of the police department to help keep an eye on Peter and perhaps build a case against him while they are working to find the antidote. Heck, Robert is the district attorney, and his brother is the chief of detectives. Between the two of them, they can put a covert team together that would keep Peter under 24/7 surveillance.

One of the main reasons that I see Chase as a man-child is because that's how everyone treats him. The writers really do the character a disservice by making Chase so emotionally fragile because it doesn't jibe with him being a seasoned detective.

I'm conflicted about Michael and Willow's decision to keep Chase in the dark about their relationship. I realize that they are coming from a place of good intentions because they don't want to pile heartbreak on top of what Chase is already dealing with. There are some who might say that Chase is getting some overdue karma for what he did to Willow when he intentionally broke her heart to manipulate her into marrying Michael. I don't disagree with that, but at the same time, two wrongs don't make a right.

Michael and Willow don't have to throw their relationship in Chase's face, but lying to him is not the answer, either, and it really annoyed me to listen to Willow repeatedly praise Michael for being a great friend to Chase for keeping their relationship on the down-low, while opening his home to Chase and arranging for the staff to look after him.

Let's be perfectly clear about what is driving Michael. He's trying to assuage his guilt because he knows that both he and Willow are taking the coward's way out. Michael is being a rotten friend by lying to Chase just like Chase was a rotten friend when he lied to Michael. Michael and Willow aren't sparing Chase heartbreak by delaying the inevitable. They are making things worse because, on top of a crushed heart, Chase is going to feel like a pity case.

Maybe I missed something, but it was my understanding that Chase and Willow weren't actually back together. Chase knew that Willow had had feelings for Michael and that she wasn't sure if she wanted to give Chase a second chance or move forward with Michael. Chase assumed that Willow had made her decision when he woke up in the hospital after one of his seizures and saw her sitting at his bedside.

Granted, others had jumped to the same conclusion that Chase had, but Willow could have easily pulled Chase's family aside to clarify where she stood with Chase. Had she, maybe they could have helped her clear things up with Chase.

The only good thing about Chase moving into the Q mansion is the possibility that Brook Lynn might help him pick up the pieces of his broken heart. Chase loves saving a damsel in distress, and Brook Lynn is going to have her hands full between Valentin and Peter breathing down her neck.

I have no doubt that if Peter sticks around, it won't take him long to figure out that Maxie and Brook Lynn pulled off a baby switch. The writers will make sure of it.

Meanwhile, in Nixon Falls, Sonny is living his best life as "Mike," and he has zero regrets. None. Not. A. Single. One. "Mike" thinks it's liberating to have no past because it allows him to have empathy for people he might otherwise not have. Nina is falling deeper and deeper under "Mike's" spell as each day passes. All he has to do is flash those charming dimples and offer keen insights into the minds of criminals. Some people are bad, while others are driven to desperation.

I wonder which category Sonny will put Nina in once his memory returns. That's for another day though. Today, "Mike" is focused on ferreting out the truth about Elijah's dirty deeds.

Did it ever occur to "Mike," and those around him, that he seems awfully knowledgeable about the seedier side of life? He recognizes cooked books and shady moneymaking schemes with just a glance at a few random pages of a spreadsheet, he is able to disarm would-be robbers with terrifying ease, has mad card-shark skills, and handles a gun like a pro.

I suspect if "Mike" were to ever catch a Goodfellas or The Godfather marathon, it would be game over. All the pieces of Sonny's mob life will fall into place, and his memory will come roaring back. Nina will do well to keep all televisions and streaming devices far away from "Mike."

The only thing that I'm enjoying about Sonny's little break from reality is the visit to Corinth, and the other subtle -- and not so subtle -- references to a few of my other beloved soaps. Llantano Valley is part of Llantano Mountain, Llantano River, and, of course, Llanview, PA, which was the setting for One Life to Live. It's one of the reasons that I've been expecting Roger Howarth to pop up in one of the scenes.

Is that who Elijah has been talking to? Could Todd Manning -- or his twin, Victor Lord Jr. -- be the one pulling Elijah's strings?

Pine Valley, PA, is also a stone's throw away from Corinth, Llanview, and Nixon Falls, which means Cameron Mathison could turn up, as well, playing Ryan Lavery. Ryan has a connection to Anna, and he would fit right in with the good people of Port Charles.

The waiting and guessing is driving me up the wall, so I hope we get some answers next week. I'm ready for their stories to begin.

Finally, Britt has decided to take the test to find out if she has Huntington's disease. Hallelujah! I'm so happy that Jason helped her make the decision, and even though the whole idea of them using fake IDs at a clinic in Canada was a little fantastical in this day and age of technology, I was willing to overlook it because I'm thrilled that Britt is done torturing herself with wondering whether or not she inherited Huntington's disease from her father.

I really hope that Britt's hand tremors are just from exhaustion and stress. If Peter was spared Faison's fate, Britt should be, too. Britt has done terrible things, but she paid for her crimes, and, more importantly, she tries to learn from her mistakes and strives to do better.

Britt and Jason's relationship might not lead to happily ever after, but I think it's more than perfect for right now. I like that Britt and Jason have a unique friendship and that neither is in any position to judge the other. They make a good team, and they don't have a long and tangled history to complicate things should a romance spark.

Did anyone else catch Valentin's question to Brook Lynn once it was decided that he and Charlotte would be moving in? "What's the bidet situation here?" he wondered. I don't know why, but that cracked me up.

I couldn't help but wonder when I saw Monica in Ireland if her trip delayed Chase's exodus from the hospital. Imagine being the one to have to break that bit of news to him.

Thank you, Kimberly McCullough. She retired from acting and became a first-time mom, but she still made time for GH to pay homage to a beloved actor and character. She is a beautiful soul, inside and out.

Can we please get Jerry Jacks (Sebastian Roche) back for a little visit? He can kick things off by killing Peter. Just an idea.

I think Jeff Kober is doing a wonderful job as Cyrus. I don't feel sorry for him when he whines about his mama, but he puts so MUCH into the little things, like when Carly showed up at the meeting and just pounded him into mush with her KILLAH SHOES. Maybe kicked him should've been a better word? -- evave2

Wouldn't it have been something if when Sonny "died", Carly said, "Now we can let someone else have Sonny's territory, we can FREE my CHILDREN from the MOB, Jason can be a dad to his own children (as though they ever came before Carson). We can lead normal, safe lives." Silly me, thinking like a REAL parent... -- Lucky Lady

Josslyn -- like her mother -- always enjoys being told she's right, but she's neither magnanimous enough to refrain from lording it over anyone who tries to apologize to her, nor is she sufficiently self-aware to realize that she has made her own bad choices, leading to regrettable mistakes, or that she has also been wrong at times, and has had to apologize for it on several occasions. She's the product of her parents' overly permissive coddling, and a lifetime of them constantly telling her how "perfect" she is. Again, like Carly, Josslyn believes that she can do no wrong, and that the rules don't apply to her. Then, when bad things DO happen, it's never her fault! -- 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

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