A cavalcade of indignity

Michael is on a mission to take down the house that Sonny built, Britt just can't catch a break, Nikolas wants a divorce, and Ryan is disappointed in Esme. It's Two Scoops of sins and secret alliances.

Surprise, surprise. Dex is Michael's inside man.

I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. Apparently, neither did Sonny and the gang, including Dante, who pretends to be neutral Switzerland but is really Team Sonny all the way. For all of Dante's insight, he seems pretty myopic. I don't exactly like that Michael is being all Sonny-like in his vindictiveness, but I'm having trouble understanding why everyone's feathers are ruffled about Michael's methods.

Everyone knows that the coffee business -- lucrative as it is -- it's just a front for Sonny's real money-maker, the biggest criminal organization on the East Coast. Shutting down Corinthos Coffee effectively puts a huge kink in Sonny's other endeavor. Michael isn't threatening to do anything illegal, so why is Dante acting like Michael put a hit on Sonny? I'm completely baffled why Dante is giving Michael a hard time instead of talking to their bullheaded father who very much created this mess with a series of bad choices from lying to Carly to sleeping with Nina and siding with her against Michael.

I'm actually rooting for Michael to succeed because I think it's time for Sonny to retire and to focus on raising his two young daughters. He's not a spring chicken anymore, and he's got more than enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life. I'm shocked that Dante would take issue with a crooked harbor master being replaced by someone who is willing to enforce the laws, and I'm pretty disappointed that he expects Michael to make all the concessions when Sonny is the one who pretty much crapped all over their family values just to canoodle with Nina.

I'm starting to think "Mike" returned from Nixon Falls with Sonny's memories, not the other way around.

Unlike Sonny, Michael has boundaries. He's not going to put Avery and Donna in any danger or take away their father. Michael isn't gunning for Sonny; he's going after Sonny's legal business by winning contracts with competitive prices. Dante needs to step back and let this play out instead of trying to pressure Michael into giving Sonny a pass. Sonny doesn't deserve it.

If Dante feels the need to stick his nose in someone's business, I wish he'd point it in Cody Bell's direction. Cody has secrets, and I doubt any of them are good.

First, let's talk about Cody giving Britt the once-over as he assured her that her body looked completely unharmed. Yuck. Did this guy fall out of a portal from 1980? Lecherous looks and sleazy innuendos will get a guy clocked in the face these days -- and for good reason. It was a huge turn-off, and there's no way that I want Britt hooking up with someone like that. Not that I think Britt needs to hook up with anyone.

Folks, it really bothers me how everyone seems to think Britt needs a guy to be happy. Yes, she's been mourning Jason's death more than is healthy, but it's not just about Jason. Britt is still dealing with the reality that she has the genetic marker for Huntington's disease. I'm not saying that Britt doesn't care about Jason, but I do think at this point she's hiding behind the grief. It's easier to tell people -- and herself -- that she's sad because she misses Jason and what might have been rather than to admit that she feels sorry for herself because she got dealt a crummy set of genes.

Britt doesn't need a man to bring her joy; she needs hope.

The thing is, I have long suspected that Victor tampered with Britt's genetic testing. If you recall, Victor used the excuse of a convention on the latest treatment for Huntington's disease as a pretext to lure Liesl out of Port Charles so that he could kidnap her. How did Victor know about that test result? Britt had the test done under a false name and at an out-of-town hospital, so it was not part of her medical record.

Victor -- who had been following Jason with plans of kidnapping him to use as a human weapon of mass destruction -- found out about Britt's visit with the doctor and either paid the man off or had one of his minions access the lab to make sure Britt showed the genetic marker for Huntington's. That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it until we learn otherwise.

I think the tremor in Britt's hand is a tic brought on by stress, and I'm a little stunned that she hasn't gotten a second opinion or seen a specialist for possible treatments that might slow down the progression or delay the onset of the disease. She's a co-chief of staff at a teaching hospital where there have been all kinds of cutting-edge treatments for seemingly incurable things done over the years. I realize that Britt is partly in denial, but she's also the top doctor at a hospital.

Until Britt gets her health issues sorted out, she most definitely doesn't need someone like Cody in her life. She needs support from her family and friends and for them to stop throwing men at her. True happiness starts from within, and women definitely don't need a man -- or a woman -- to give their life purpose.

However, Britt could use some new friends.

I was so disappointed in Brad when it was revealed that he was responsible for the embarrassing video of Britt going viral, which led to an even more horrifying GIF. I know he said he was drunk when he sent it to "one person," but if that one person wasn't Britt, then it was a rotten thing to do. When he took that video, I assumed that he intended it for Britt's eyes only. I laughed, never imagining that he would send the video to someone who would post it on the Internet so others could make fun of her. Shame on him.

That wasn't the only bombshell about Brad, either. It seems Brad likes working for his Aunt Selina, running illegal card games, and he's ready for more responsibility. Of course, more responsibility with Selina means doing things that might get someone's probation revoked if they were caught. This is not going to end well for Brad, and once again, he will only have himself to blame for the trouble that will inevitably find him.

I realize that Brad wasn't given a choice about the card games, but he didn't have to jump in deeper. It's why I can never root for Brad. Trouble finds him, and he always ends up wallowing in it. If Britt isn't careful, he will drag her down with him.

That brings me to Nikolas and his dirty little secret.

Ava has given Nikolas a second chance. She decided that she's willing to put up with both Spencer and Esme living under the castle roof, as long as she doesn't lose Nikolas. Too late. Ugh. I hate the turn this storyline has taken. Ava is blissfully ignorant, Esme is treacherously smug, and Nikolas is scurrying around like a rat on a sinking ship. Worse, Nikolas offered to dash down to the local drug store for a morning after pill if Esme needed it. She assured him that everything was covered, but I trust her about as much as I do the dentist when he tells me the shot of novocaine won't hurt. It does. Always.

Besides the fact that Nikolas' offer told us that he didn't use a condom -- gross -- it also left the door wide open for Esme to find out in six to eight weeks that she's pregnant. Just enough time for Nikolas and Ava to get a quickie divorce and arrange a new wedding that Esme can crash with a pregnancy announcement for the bride and groom. I hope that I'm wrong, but it's a soap opera, and I refuse to believe that the writers gave us the traumatizing mental image of Nikolas and Esme not practicing safe sex just for giggles. That would be cruel.

I don't care about Nikolas. He deserves all the misery Esme gives him, but I hate the idea of Ava's heart being broken by Nikolas because he slept with the calculating shrew. Ava should be the one ripping out Nikolas' heart and handing it to him on a platter because she was right about Esme from the very start. The only consolation is the certainty that Nikolas will end up alone when Ava finds out. And find out Ava will, especially if Ryan has anything to say about it.

Esme trotted herself over to the hospital to pay her papa a visit and share the news that she successfully seduced Nikolas. Ryan was delighted by the news until he found out that Ava has no clue about Nikolas' infidelity, which means it does Ryan no good.

It was at that point that I started to wonder if Esme is truly Ryan's daughter.

I realize that Ryan can be single-minded in his obsession, but would he truly be callous enough to sacrifice his own flesh so easily? I don't think so. Ryan is a narcissist who would see a child of his as an achievement and a gift to the world. He wouldn't treat her like a pawn, especially when she displayed a cunningness that matched his own. He would treat her more like a mentor would because he would see her as someone worthy of following in his footsteps.

I don't see even a glimmer of pride in Ryan's gaze or any sign, really, that Esme is anything other than a disposable pawn. From what I can see, Ryan treats her no different than any of his other devoted acolytes. Why would Esme put up with him? She gains nothing in this relationship, and he's downright nasty to her. I'm starting to think that Ryan allows her to believe that she's his daughter because it makes her malleable. He sees in her a desperation to belong, and he exploits it without even a pretense of caring.

I'm really curious to see what Sam uncovers about Esme's adoptive parents and the nanny. I don't think Esme is innocent or misunderstood -- what she did to Josslyn was diabolical -- but I'm certain there's a big twist coming up that is going to send her over the edge. There's definitely more to this story than meets the eye.

Finn feels the same way about Liz and her bout of sleep-stalking. Finn wants to call Jeff and Carolyn Webber, but stupid Gregory talked him out of it. Something about Violet learning to untie tricky knots for herself. I have no idea, because in my head, I was shouting, "Yes! Call them. Call them now!"

I get Finn's hesitancy, especially since Liz asked him to give her some space and stay away from Shadybrook. He already feels like their relationship is on thin ice, but the truth is, Liz isn't going to get better until she gets to the root of what drove her to start sleepwalking and terrorizing herself. There's a good chance the symptoms might continue to get worse.

Like it or not, if Jeff and Carolyn are the key to unlocking the mystery, then it's for the greater good. If Liz and Finn are meant to be, they will weather this storm and be stronger for it. If not, then at least Finn can walk away from the relationship, knowing that he did everything in his power to make it work, and he left Liz in a better mental state than he had found her.

Finn calling Liz's parents wouldn't be out of malice or even nosiness. Liz is struggling, and she needs help. Also, we, the viewers, need answers. Jeff and Carolyn have a lot of explaining to do. Liz isn't a spiteful person. She's kind, understanding, and, most of all, forgiving. She's made her own fair share of mistakes and miscalculations over the years, so she won't stay mad at Finn for long or hold it against him. She'll see that his intentions were good.

I want Finn and Liz to emerge from this dark period together. They have great chemistry, and I love their blended family. There's also the soapy twist that Violet's mother is Liz's sister, so that would be a story waiting in the wings for Hayden's return. Also, Finn and Liz both work at the hospital, and it's been ages since we had a couple working together, dealing with medical dramas and hospital intrigue. I miss those days.

Finally, Portia was a little shaken when Curtis told her about Marshall's schizophrenia diagnosis and Curtis' concern that it might be genetic. As soon as Curtis left, Portia made an appointment to talk to a genetic counselor. On a soap opera, that's almost as good as a paternity test. Mark my words, Curtis is Trina's father.

I've suspected this from the moment I learned that Portia and Curtis had history. The timing of Portia and Curtis' affair, Portia's regret -- that she hadn't told Trina the truth about her father -- when Portia faced imminent death with Jordan, and, of course, because it's a soap opera. All signs point to a paternity reveal in Curtis' near future, and I just can't muster any sympathy for Portia because she has done everyone wrong -- Curtis, Taggert, but most of all, Trina.

If I'm right, Portia owes Trina the truth. Trina is an adult now, and she deserves to make her own choice about whether she wants to have an honest relationship with both men in her life or to keep the secret buried. Taggert is always going to be Trina's father because that's who raised her, and that is who she will always think of when she hears the word "Dad." She loves and admires Taggert, and nothing will ever change that.

However, Trina should also have an opportunity to get to know Curtis if that is her wish. Not as her mother's boyfriend, but as her father.

Portia didn't lie about Trina's paternity because Curtis was a bad person. Curtis ended things with Portia when he found out that she was married, and he walked away. Later, he struggled with addiction, but Portia didn't know that because she had reconciled with Taggert and allowed him to believe the little girl he was raising was his biological daughter. Portia chose the easy path -- the path of least resistance. She put herself first, not Trina, and for that reason, I think Portia will deserve what's coming her way, including Curtis walking out on her.

Of course, there is a possibility that Taggert is the father, since presumably he and Portia slept together around the time of Trina's conception. I haven't seen any indication from Taggert that he has questions about Trina's paternity, but the odds are not in his favor. There's no drama in Trina being revealed to be Taggert's daughter.

Will Trina start showing signs of paranoia like her grandpa did back when he was first diagnosed with schizophrenia? What would Esme do with that kind of information? Would Esme use it to torment Trina further and keep her secrets hidden? We shall see, but it should be interesting.

What I don't want to see is for Trina to be rescued by Spencer. Spencer might finally see Esme for who she really is, but it took Trina getting framed and arrested for a crime she didn't commit for him to see the light about Esme. It should have been much sooner. In fact, Spencer should have realized Esme's true nature the minute Esme encouraged him to stalk Ava. If not then, certainly by the time Esme set fire to Ava's car and planted Kiki's badge at the scene of the crime. I blame Spencer for the mess that Trina is in, and there were countless times when he could have stopped it.

As the saying goes, when someone shows you who they are, believe them.

Esme showed Spencer who she was by helping him terrorize Ava, by letting him take the fall for her crimes, by mooching off of him and his grandmother, and by not being able to make a friend with a single soul. On top of that, a long line of people warned Spencer that Esme was trouble. He arrogantly ignored every warning sign.

I also have a big issue with how Spencer treated Trina. She was a sidepiece, someone that he kept on the downlow. Even their friendship was downplayed in front of people, including Trina's best friends. He hasn't shown Trina much respect, either. Spencer lied about who he was, he had Trina lie for him, and -- when it mattered most -- he took Esme's word over Trina's. Spencer failed Trina at every turn, and he acts like exposing Esme will somehow fix it all. It won't.

Even if Trina were to have her record expunged at PCU and all the money returned for her legal fees, even if Esme was carted off to jail, Trina will still carry the scars of her ordeal. She will still have the memory of being drugged, getting sick, and passing out. She will still recall what it felt like to be a pariah at school, the shame of being expelled, and the horror of being arrested. Nothing can undo those things except a time machine.

To my knowledge, the Cassadines don't have a DeLorean hidden in their garage.

I'd rather see Trina end up with Rory, even though I'm fairly certain that he's connected to Selina. He's either another nephew or possibly her son. Either way, it seems pretty clear that he's clean because he practically squeaks when he walks. I like the way he talks to Trina -- kind and respectfully -- and they look adorable together. Trina has spent years watching Josslyn find love, lose it, and find it again. It's time for Trina to shine and for her to be the center of someone's world rather than sitting on the sidelines, rooting for her friends.

Spencer needs to spend time reflecting on the error of his ways and maybe learning a lesson or two.

Why is Spinelli afraid to publicly acknowledge his involvement with Society Setups? It's weird. He's a programing wizard, so it makes sense that he would be involved in a popular website. I could understand if it was a porn site or something along those lines, but a dating website isn't exactly scandalous or the stuff that could ruin a person's reputation.

Did Curtis, Marshall, T.J., and Stella stop off for sightseeing and photos on the way home? It took forever for them to return from Brooklyn. Even Stella mentioned that Marshall had been in his clothes "for days." Also, why was Curtis still holding on to Marshall's meds when they arrived home? I would think those kinds of meds are taken at timed intervals.

We had some fabulous lines this week. I cracked up when Drew told Michael, regarding Sonny, "I can practically hear you say he's dead to me." Equally hilarious, everything out of Liesl's mouth during Liesl and Brad's intervention with Britt. Liesl is an absolute hoot, and we need more scenes with her.

I was soooooo hoping that Nikolas would NOT have fallen for Esme's seduction. Who didn't see that coming? I can't even imagine looking at my child's spouse in that way. But I guess, I am not a weak-minded man. Is that what it is? I really wish General Hospital would surprise the fans and not do the obvious story line!! Is Esme the "new" Nelle? Same kind of story, different character. -- phillis espinoza

Sam looked good at the party, and she's always more tolerable with Spinelli, who looked even better! It's pretty obvious that Spinelli created the matchmaker website, at first, probably in an effort to find a match for himself, but now it's taken off, and he's going to be a very rich -- if still socially awkward -- computer genius. -- Scrimmage

I am so happy the judge pointed out that it is up to the parents to protect their children, and they decide who gets to spend time with them. Calling out Scott on his behavior was great! As soon as the judge said petition denied and knocked her gavel, I cheered yes, and slapped my arm chair!!! Carly will never learn her lesson....go home and shred those documents!! -- Cindi Ekberg

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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