Checkmate with a serial killer?

Revenge porn and (fake) pregnancy, arrests and releases, punches and tears, just a typical week in Port Charles. Let's discuss in this week's two scoops.

Dear readers, I would like to pose a question to you. Would you play chess with a serial killer? No, me neither. Even if I was really bored at the end of my last day in jail. Even if my dad, the prince, was a little late to pick me up. I suppose it's only fair to note that I don't play chess, but especially not with a serial killer.

Also, are we expected to believe that Harmony helped Ryan blink out an answer to every possible question Spencer might ask him? The fact that Harmony, a felon, is allowed to work in a jail and be the aid of a serial killer is a little unbelievable, too. Everyone knows she is prone to succumb to the magnetic power of lunatics like Shiloh and Cyrus, so why entrust her with Ryan? Do you remember when Sam wasn't allowed to see Jason when she got out of jail because she couldn't associate with another known felon? Where's that mean judge to swoop in and forbid Harmony from taking dictation from Ryan?

This scene was loopy but enjoyable, nonetheless.

I think that if Spencer realized that he and serial killer Ryan were on the same side, it would give him pause. "Hey, a serial killer thinks I'm on the right track. Perhaps I need to rethink my stance."

But Spencer has had no such epiphany.

Speaking of Epiphany, I think Doctor Epiphany has quite the ring to it. I love that Epiphany will invest in herself and follow a dream she has held in her heart for years. I love this storyline, and I can hardly wait to see the day when she marches into GH in a doctor's white coat. I appreciate that Marshall (played by the wonderful Robert Gossett) helped inspire her to take this step. Still, to be honest, his relationship with Epiphany is the only thing that interests me about his character.

Why? The writers have waited too long for the big reveal. I have grown impatient. And yes, I know what you are thinking. I have been impatient about this storyline for a while. I wrote about this a month ago, but I'm about to repeat it because they still have not told us anything!

I don't care if Marshall is the head of the mob in Guatemala. I don't care if Marshall is Mr. Big's secret love child with Mary Mae. I don't care if he is the drug kingpin of the East Coast. I don't care if he is working as a spy for Ms. Wu. The mystery has gone on too long. I do care about why he hates Sonny so much. Is it personal or just that Sonny is in the mob in general? Was he one of Mike's old bookies? Oh, wait, I forgot, I don't care. Well, maybe I care a *little.*

Do you know what I do care about? Luke's murder. If Luke is genuinely dead and Uncle Victor is responsible, his charm and twinkling eyes are damned. I cannot like him anymore. I know I'm not meant to like him -- he's a villain -- but damn, Charles Shaughnessy is so charismatic, I cannot help myself. Oh, no, I'm like Harmony with Shiloh.

I am enjoying the detective team of Anna, Sam, Drew, and Laura -- and Dante, as a bonus! But how did one of Victor's flunkies get to be deputy mayor of Port Charles? Has this scheme been in motion for years? When Laura ran for mayor of Port Charles, New York, and Victor headed the WSB, did he install his own candidate to run for the deputy mayor election? Back when Spencer was a mere boy hiding ballot boxes at Wyndemere so his grandma would win the election? Maybe I am forgetting some plot points here. If I am, please tell me. But I don't know how this spy lady got to be deputy mayor!

But some things I do remember. This week, I thoroughly enjoyed the scene when Liz and Carly complimented one another's parenting skills, and each admitted that the other raised a wonderful child. Those flashback scenes to young Liz and Carly were so welcome and fun. I love it when actors stay in roles long enough to create a history that we can revisit. When writers can build storylines that incorporate past plotlines, and those old reels can run, it makes the stories richer and gives the canvas more depth.

But that having been said, sometimes actors leave, and the story must go on. When recasts are necessary, the powers that be do their best to choose a worthy replacement to bring life to beloved characters. While we have only seen a few scenes with each actress, I believe our two newest performers, Tanisha Harper as Jordan and Tabyana Ali as Trina, will prove to be fantastic recasts.

Tanisha Harper is Jordan number three, and her first few scenes have won me over. Jordan is a tricky role. Jordan is required to be both tough and tender. We must believe that she is badass enough as police commissioner to take on the likes of Cyrus Renault and the entire mob, but also delicate enough to be brokenhearted to discover her (not really ex-) ex-husband is buying a house with another woman.

Ms. Harper, in her limited scenes so far, has shown me both tough and tender. I am looking forward to the day when she and Curtis discover they are still married because Aunt Stella went and had a stroke and forgot to mail the signed divorce papers.

Side note, it's funny that Curtis asked her to bend the rules for him when he basically divorced her for bending the rules.

Now to Tatyana Ali. I can imagine it would be tough to take over a role from Sydney Mikayla, who is widely adored. GH fans don't agree on much, but I literally don't know anyone in the GH community who didn't love Sydney's work as Trina. I applaud the wisdom of her choice to leave GH and focus on her education. This statement comes from a woman who dropped out of college in the 80s to join a traveling theatre company. I have magnificent stories of my life on the road, but damn, I wish I had finished college.

So, with Sydney opting to focus on her education, GH had no choice but to recast one of its most popular actresses. In the few scenes we have seen from Tatyana so far, I can say they may have struck gold twice. I was delighted to see Ral Andrews back as Taggert. He is always a welcome sight. I liked seeing Trina's parents doing a check-in with the new Trina. But I was particularly fond of the scenes between Eden McCoy and Tatyana, where the chemistry of the two best friends is an important dynamic. The two made me believe that they had always been best friends.

I think she will be dynamite, and I can hardly wait to see her first scene with Spencer! Nicholas Chavez seems to have chemistry with everyone he does scenes with. He has that magical "it" factor, where he brings out the best in his scene partners. I think the GH casting director deserves a big raise for choosing so many outstanding new performers lately.

As for Spencer, oh, my heavens, boy, please don't fall for a fake pregnancy! William Lipton is so adorable as Cam. I love the honest no holds barred friendship between two young men who have known each other since childhood. I think Cam delivered the funniest line of the week, which made me laugh so loud the neighbors probably heard me. "You better find out whether or not Esme is really pregnant before you go shopping for jail baby clothes."

Avery Pohl has turned out to be the perfect villain. I know she is evil. I know Esme is up to no good. I know she is the daughter and disciple of Ryan Chamberlain. But every now and then, when she pours out the emotion, I believe her, and I think, "Maybe she really does want to be good. Maybe she really is misunderstood. Maybe if she hangs out with Grandma Laura a little more, she can change." And if I know for a fact that she's evil and she can suck me in, then I can't be too critical of Spencer for falling for her act, can I?

My guess is that she is going to fake a pregnancy. I suppose she had that pregnancy test on top of her bag, hoping someone would see it. But there is also a case to be made for her getting pregnant to ensure she would be tied to Spencer for life, like Nelle did with Michael. That sly smile she gave as she walked out of Laura's house leads me to believe she is faking.

So far, her scheme at the cabin is working. She humiliated Joss and Cam, she framed Trina, and no one has figured out that Trina's hot toddy was drugged yet, which is driving me insane! When I was in college, my bestie and I could really knock down the drinks. Thus, if I had had only one drink and passed out and could not remember anything that happened, my first thought would be, "Someone slipped something in my drink." None of these kids has even considered this possibility, which has made me yell at my TV a lot. When Trina says, "I still can't remember anything that happened that night," I yell at my TV, "Because you were DRUGGED!"

I have also read some commentary from viewers online that I feel is worth mentioning... Cam, who is white, pulled a gun on someone in front of the police commissioner and got a slap on the wrist. Trina, who is black and totally innocent, is being arrested. Some viewers have mentioned that this is hard for them to watch because it appears that justice does not seem to be colorblind, even in the soap world. What are your thoughts on this? Discuss.

Next topic: Willow. Did she faint because she is pregnant, or did Willow faint because she has some deadly disease that only her real mother's blood can save her from? I think it's probably option B. I don't believe that Harmony would ever tell Willow the truth about her real parents without reason. I believe she loves Willow, however, so if Willow's life were on the line and she knew the truth would save her, she'd confess. Every day, it looks more and more like Nina will be Willow's real mother, and this opens so many stories. If Willow is Nina's daughter, it means Nelle is not, and thus Nina has no blood claim to Wiley. Could a rift between Willow and Michael form? Suppose Michael decides he doesn't want Nina in Wiley's life, and Nina is not a blood relative. Could that damage Willow and Michael's relationship?

Also, suppose Nelle is not Nina's daughter. In that case, all the revenge that Nina got by hiding Sonny was totally unjustified (which, of course, it was, regardless.) Will that make Sonny wake up from his Nixon Falls haze and return to his family? I loved the scene this week when Dante told Sonny he won't be able to have both Nina and Michael in his life. He will have to choose between his son and his girlfriend. Michael will not be able to forgive Sonny for taking the side of Nina, the woman who lied to them and let them believe Sonny was dead for months, over his mother. Maybe this revelation of Nina being Willow's mom and not Nelle's will make Sonny rethink his position.

Harmony will be rejected and brokenhearted after the truth comes out. Last week, Alexis extended an invitation for Harmony to move in with her. Some viewers suspect that both these ladies have had a lifetime of bad relationships with men and that perhaps Alexis and Harmony might become a couple.

Shawn is gone, but I am unsure if this is a permanent leave or a short one. Characters on the show have left it open-ended, as in "Shawn is away for a little while." So, perhaps he will come back a few months down the line and get to finish up all the unfinished business he has. While I am okay with Alexis at the Invader, I miss Alexis as a lawyer. I would still like to see her back in the courtroom again someday. What do you think, dear readers?

Who else swooned when Chase sang Brook Lynn's song to her? Lucy and the Deception team have selected one of Brooke Lynn's songs for their opening; it is a duet, and Chase can sing, so maybe Amy and Chase will duet, since Brook still can't sing? I'm in if it puts Chase and Brooke Lynn in a room together for rehearsals. I want those two crazy kids to have a conversation, realize that they both like each other, and stop dancing around each other. Give me the payoff already!

What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will Ms. Wu and Britt become besties over lunch? Will Brad be a better mob kingpin than he was a lab tech? Will Nina and Sonny have more Nixon Falls flashback dances? Will Lenny's ghost come back and haunt them? Will Michael have flashbacks to his trauma in prison while he's in jail for punching the annoying reporter? Will Jason come back from the dead and become true brothers with Drew? Will Drew ever get to stop being Dr. Phil to everyone in Port Charles and figure out what his life looks like?

Will Kim come back to town now that Drew called her -- and bring Julian's baby? Will anyone at the PCPD notice that the fake phone Esme dumped in Trina's purse only has Esme's fingerprints on it? Will anyone wonder why Trina didn't notice she had two identical phones in her purse? Will Esme get some pregnant lady to pee on a stick for her so she can fake a pregnancy? Will she ask Brook Lynn to borrow her fake baby bump?

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

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