The Final Countdown

In a week of nonstop soapy action, we have a lot to discuss in this week's Two Scoops

Dear readers, this week's episodes of GH had me riveted! I love Sweeps time when all the stories that have been brewing finally come to a breathtaking conclusion. I love all the soapy twists and turns. It's heaven for lovers of Daytime drama and the reason we hang on for storylines that are moving along too slowly and suspend our disbelief for absurd things like Maxie being pregnant for a year and a half due to COVID production shutdowns.

Monday's episode began with a shot of Peter at the bottom of a GH stairwell with blood gushing from his head, and a countdown started at "8 hours earlier." We don't know how he got there, if he tripped on his shoelace, or if someone pushed him. We only know an awful lot of people want Peter dead.

Friday ended with "3 hours earlier," and even though math is not my strong suit, it appears the conclusion of this mystery won't come until Tuesday, or possibly Wednesday if GH airs a repeat episode on Memorial Day.

The demise of Peter has been coming for a long time, and I admit that when I saw him at the bottom of the stairs with a bloody head, the word I yelled at the TV was "Finally!" Will he be dead or just in a coma for five years and then come back to terrorize Port Charles again? I'm anxious to see. If they kill him off and bring him back in three months as Peter's twin Paul, an excellent high school teacher coming in to take over Dustin's class, I'd be okay with that. Although we would need a new crop of teenagers, since Cam, Trina, and Joss will all be graduating and apparently having their graduation party at a bar. Great idea, Portia!

This brings me to Curtis. Portia has been spending lots of time hanging out with Curtis in that dating technique once described on Seinfeld as the "be there for him, and then you'll just be there." You comfort someone you are attracted to in a time of loss, thereby getting your foot in the door to be their next boo. Or better put -- this

But there is a big problem for Portia: Curtis still loves Jordan. And Jordan still loves Curtis. Will they find their way back together? Will Aunt Stella show up and knock their heads together and tell them to go get marriage counseling? Who knows? But clearly, Curtis is not ready for Portia's kisses yet.

I guess it may not matter, anyway, since a ponytail-free Cyrus is bleeding out in Portia's doorway. We have heard he doesn't like witnesses, so is there any chance at all that Cyrus will let Taggert's ex-wife live after she bandages him up?

Readers, Jeff Kober is absolutely slaying these scenes. I didn't warm up to him as a soap villain at first, but right now, I am hooked. Also, I think he should never wear a ponytail again because, with his hair down, he is soap villain perfect. Not as perfect as Faison's (Anders Hove) hair perfect, but almost.

Since he is Laura's brother, I don't think he will be killed off. I think he will go away for a while and come back at some point. If only cult villain Shiloh were still around, Cyrus could join Dawn of Day, see the error in his ways, and return as a reformed cult member.

People come back on soaps all the time. Look at Dr. Austin! Man, it was so good to see Roger Howarth's face again. My husband, who pretends not to watch GH, said, "So, Scarface is a doctor now?" Mind you, Scarface was a nickname of Todd Manning from One Life to Live, which is curious, because that would mean he didn't watch two soaps but still knew character names from both shows... In fact, I quizzed him, and he was successfully able to name characters from General Hospital, All My Children, OLTL, The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and nighttime soaps like Dallas, Dynasty, and Knots Landing. Why won't he just admit he's a soap fan already?

Dr. Austin arrived at the perfect time to deliver Maxie's baby in the woods before she had to pull a Robin and leave her baby in a tree. After yelling, "You'll never get my baby, bitch!" Maxie sprinted into the woods to lay down in a pile of leaves to have her baby. Like Maxie, I assumed that evil nurse Chloe was down for the count, but I should have known better.

Meanwhile, back in Beechers Corners, Brook Lynn unstrapped her fake baby belly and went down her checklist to ensure she had all the needed supplies. She did, but the two most important ones were missing -- Maxie and Bobbie. We know where Maxie is, but where is Bobbie? Could she be the one who pushed Peter down the stairs at GH? My husband is rooting for Mutter (Dr. Obrecht) to be the pusher. I like his idea, but I also love the idea of Liz or Cam pushing the rat bastard who stole Franco from them down the stairs. Or Finn, after Sean's secret folder helps him solve the riddle of a cure for Chase.

But I digress. Back to Dr. Austin... Roger Howarth appeared with a new haircut, ruggedly handsome, shirtless, and entirely ripped. Clearly, he used his time off at the gym. I think this character will showcase Roger Howarth's humor and light. I already like him. I know many of you are upset and want someone to say, "Hey, you look familiar." But we did that when Todd turned into Franco, so I understand why GH may not do it again. But maybe Liz will say it when Dr. Austin inevitably gets hired at GH, which has been shy on doctors for quite a long time. And honestly, wouldn't you rather see Liz with a friendly, cheerful doctor than a serial killer, anyway?

But I just suppose that GH will pair them again. Maybe not. Maybe Dr. Austin will fall for Maxie and the baby he just delivered. Perhaps he will be the new chief of staff once Britt gets fired for aiding and abetting a fugitive. Maybe after getting conked on the head by evil nurse Chloe, he won't remember that he's a doctor and will take up art therapy. It's Daytime, so it could be anything at all. I, for one, am excited to see what's next! Welcome home, Roger! We missed you.

I've also missed romance on GH because it's been a long season of sorrow and not a lot of love in the afternoon. I have enjoyed following along the budding friendship of Britt and Jason. I knew they'd kiss at some point, and I was thrilled and delighted by their love scenes this week.

For super fans of Sam and Jason, to watch the two of them falling for new partners is probably painful, but I think it was time.

Initially, I loved Sam and Jason and their Noodle Buddha wedding, and I thought they were a great fit. But when Steve Burton went to Y&R and Billy Miller came on as Jason/Drew, his relationship with Sam seemed fresh and fun, and I loved the chemistry between the two of them. When Steve Burton came back to GH, I think the writers botched that reunion. It took too long, moved too slowly, and was anticlimactic. They kept them apart for too long, and when they finally got them back together, I barely cared.

This last breakup, when Sam stood her ground on separating her life from Jason's for the safety of her kids after the explosion at Charlie's, seemed fitting.

I am enjoying Sam and Dante's growing friendship, I liked their baseball banter this week, and when Dante showed Sam how to improve her baseball stance, I admit that I was hoping for a little kissy-kissy.

Both new couples make sense for where the characters are at this point in their lives. If Sam wants her kids safe, who's safer than Dante? (Now that he is no longer under the WSB brain control triggers.) If Jason's life is dangerous, who better to share life with than a partner who feels she has limited time and nothing to lose? Who, by her own admission, kind of wishes Cyrus would kill her versus the slow, unpleasant death she believes is in her future?

I am enjoying both of these unions, even if they are only temporary. Let's face it, Lulu will eventually come out of her coma, and then Dante will be in the same spot that Lulu was in when he came home after she was involved with Dustin. Will he ultimately pick Lulu or Sam? I don't know, but in the interim, I think I'm going to enjoy watching Dante and Sam fall in love.

However, I am not enjoying Nina toying with "Mike's" life. When "Mike" kissed Nina this week, she immediately got squirrely and uncomfortable. That kiss made the weight of what she was doing fall down hard on her shoulders. I smiled in anticipation of how hard Carly is going to bitch slap Nina when she discovers Nina has known Sonny was alive this entire time. I am going to record it so I can watch it over and over. I'm hoping for some hair pulling, too.

Since Elijah has now been busted, I hope for a speedy end to this whole Nixon Falls storyline. The tricky part is that Sonny hasn't even had a single memory flash, not even a hint that he has had a second of conscious recognition of his former life. He had one dream of a faceless blonde that we know was Carly, but other than that, nada. Will he be reintroduced into Port Charles without knowing his true identity? Will his life be in danger from rival mobsters who recognize his weakness? I want to see how this plays out, and the only way to get there is to get Sonny out of Nixon Falls. I don't care who brings him home. It can be Jax coming to see Nina again or Trina having a hankering for the delicious pasta she had at the Tan-O. I don't care -- just make it happen already.

When Sonny does come home, he will find a few things are different. Like archenemies Carly and Ava suddenly working together. Like Carly being a full-on mob boss (albeit a very inept one; all of her plans thus far have been disastrous since her first big foray into organized crime at the Five Families meeting).

A special shout-out to Scarlett Fernandez: get well soon, little angel. We miss you and Charlotte around Port Charles. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will Spinelli sign up for some self-defense classes for the next time he gets caught up in a mob battle? Will Chloe ever get out of the hole? Will Jason regret leaving Britt all warm and cozy in the cabin just to end up back in the prison he escaped from? Will Prince Nikolas realize he is not really mob material? Will Carly and Ava's truce hold once the danger has passed? Will Valentin be crushed when he finds no baby girl on the way and take Yuri out for drinks to drown his sorrows? Will we find out that the silver rattle that Peter had was actually Nelle's and that he has her squirreled away someplace?

Will Sasha (Fierce) help her baby daddy Brando through if Gladys dies before she can change her story? Will "Let him go, or I drop you" Jason get to hang out in Pentonville in the prison library with Alexis and Shawn? Will Michael and Willow be able to control their pent-up passion and avoid kissing three feet away from Chase? Will GH clean up this year at the Daytime Emmys, since they are nominated for many awards in every category?

Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.Tamilu

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.