At last, a payoff

The romance we have waited for has finally taken flight. And Gladys' evil deeds are finally known. The payoff week has finally arrived! Eddie Maine sings Idle Rich tunes to the town, Liz and Finn get very wet, and Sonny and Nina plan to elope. All this and more in this week's Two Scoops!

Dear readers, this week, we finally saw the long-awaited love scenes with Spencer and Trina that we have been clamoring for for months. And they did not disappoint. When Esme said Ace was exposed to chicken pox, I daydreamed about diving into my TV, Mary Poppins style, and giving Esme a good old-fashioned face slap. But thankfully, it was a false alarm.

Despite Portia's meddling, Esme's amnesiac neediness, and every other obstacle imaginable, our two star-crossed lovebirds finally got to make love. Spencer came onto GH as a skinny kid but has grown into a hunky leading man! I know that's probably unseemly for me to mention, as I am old enough to be his nana, but even so, I have eyes.

Dashing, charming, and romantic -- Spencer is everything we like to daydream about, like Jax of old, flying his love off to romantic destinations and bringing jewelry, caviar, and Champagne. Most of us are lucky if our husbands take us to Chili's for happy hour, am I right? The show tickets, the rose petals on the bed, and finally, declarations of love between two beautiful souls who have loved each other from the instant they met -- it was a fantastic payoff to our months of anticipation! I want to believe the real writers finally gave us the payoff, not the fill-in writers hired during the strike. I want to think that the actual writers wouldn't keep stringing us along forever. I suppose we will never know.

These two young actors, Nickolas A. Chavez and Tabyana Ali, have such vibrant chemistry. There is electricity in their scenes. Eden McCoy (Joss) and Evan Hofer (Dex) also have great chemistry. The younger generation of GH is in the making.

The younger romances are sizzling, while some older ones are fizzling. For instance, I hadn't seen a lot of sizzle between Finn and Liz until Friday. Does the hospital allow doctors and nurses to shower together during work hours? Most employers would frown on that. But even in a shower sex scene, Liz never got to take off her scrubs! Becky is so pretty, and she must wear scrubs 95% of the time. I'm sure that's easy on the wardrobe department, but I'd love to see her get to wear a dress more than once a year at the Nurses Ball.

I did enjoy the nod to history when nosy Amy asked why their hair was wet. Suppose she's like the original gossipy Nurse Amy Vining; by the end of the day, the entire hospital will speculate about whether they did it in the shower. Finn and Liz have yet to have a genuine love scene like Sprina had today. We need more scenes like this if they want us to accept them as a couple, not just super tight co-workers.

Same with Ava and Austin. I was just starting to like them until I discovered that Austin kept Nikolas as a houseguest while allowing Ava to torture herself over murdering him. He knew Nikolas was alive this entire time. What a creep. Just Austin. Not Roger. Roger is a doll.

I am pleased to report that Roger Howarth is now on Instagram, his first foray into social media, and I'm enjoying his posts. I've been a fan of his work since his One Life to Live days. I want Austin to get out from under Mason's thumb and have an actual storyline. Is he a Q or not? Is he related to Cyrus and, therefore, Laura? I'm ready for all the mysteries that have had no resolution for months to wrap up.

Is Ava going to whack Mason in the head with the same fireplace tools she used to conk Nikolas? She needs to buy a pit bull or get one of those tiny guns like Dolly Parton carried in 9 to 5. But only on TV. In real life, I wish only deer hunters had guns.

I am glad the writers' strike is over. Congratulations, dear writers, for winning some ground in the battle to be paid for your work! I hope the writers come back with new enthusiasm, vision, and a desire to tell unique stories that will rivet and delight us. I hope that while they have been striking, they have been talking on the picket line. "Hey, Joe, I think we have gotten into a rut. Let's shake things up when we return and blow the viewers' minds!"

First up, I want them to end Gladys. No redemption, at least not now. Let her go to jail or rehab and return in three years or something. But now I can't stand the sight of her. When Sasha showed up, I foolishly thought Gladys felt remorse. And let me say that Sofia Mattson earned her Emmy nomination this week. Those scenes with Gladys were explosive and soul-crushing.

When Sasha reminded Gladys that she had been there for them when Liam died and after Brando died, I didn't understand how Gladys could look at her son's widow, pick up the phone, and send her back to the mental hospital, knowing that Dr. Montague was trying to MURDER Sasha. I cannot wrap my head around that writing or the endless torture Sasha has faced. I yearn for a change of direction for this character! And I want Dr. Montague to end up in prison and get the kind of beatdown Drew received.

I was screaming YES at the TV when Nina finally told Sonny about Gladys' shenanigans. In all these years of watching Sonny, my very favorite thing to hear him say is, "Son of a bitch!" When Sonny says those words, I get giddy. I can't explain to you why, but I just dig it. Sonny is now in the loop of everything Gladys did -- that she embezzled from Sasha, partnered with Montague to keep Sasha locked up, and actively fought to end the conservatorship.

I hope that Bonnie Burroughs is mentally prepared to get attacked by Sonny because when the writers open the unleashed Sonny door, Maurice Benard can bring it. I have heard Maurice Benard doesn't prefer these scenes. I understand how taxing it must be to live in that kind of anger and rage to play those scenes realistically. So, after he wrecks Gladys, I hereby give him permission to take a week off and unwind, so long as he gets rid of Gladys. I know he won't kill Gladys, out of respect for Mike, but he will most likely run her out of town.

Mason headed to Pentonville to check in with Cyrus... Did Cyrus not say that he owed Drew for saving his life? Did he then turn around and have Drew beaten and nearly killed? Or was it someone else? I feel like the writers are all over the place. Am I the only one who is lost here?

Cyrus is redeemed and finds God in prison. But wait, he's still evil and running a drug/gun/mob/ something ring from prison? Cyrus genuinely wanted to find peace with his sister Laura and had an out-of-body experience about it. Still, then he attacks his niece Carly's fianc? I am so confused. Is Cyrus good or bad? Is he working on Drew's behalf or against him? What's your take?

But nothing confuses me as much right now as the Molly-Go-Round. Which Molly are we on? How long will she be staying? Should I bother learning her name? Can anyone explain to me how Molly, generally seen as the most levelheaded Davis girl who became an assistant D.A. in her 20s, suddenly turned into a weepy mess, cradling her childhood horse stuffie and hating her sister for merely suggesting she could be Molly's surrogate.

In an average family, if one sister offered to be the surrogate for her fertility-challenged sister, it would be a celebration on the Today Show as Hoda's Morning Boost! I just don't understand the beef Molly has with Kristina. Sure, Kristina is a little headstrong sometimes, but she is Sonny's child. What do you expect? I hope that with Molly 4.0, we may get some clarity as the original writers return and try to make sense of this.

Readers, as much as I adore Lexi Ainsworth, I must admit that I am enjoying Kate Mansi. She has captured Kristina's feistiness, and I appreciate her scenes with almost everyone. I wonder if they are testing Blaze as a love interest for her or if Kate Mansi sings, and we will get another new recording artist for BLQ's growing business? I don't know, but I will follow this storyline and see where it goes.

I am also Ready for Eddie, and will follow him like a groupie to the ends of Port Charles. Don't hate me, but I am beginning to hope Ned's memory never returns. Eddie has breathed fresh life into everyone in the Q household and everywhere he goes in Port Charles. I loved hearing the old Idle Rich tunes from back in the day, and I like the half-finished "Siren" song, too.

But will that siren be Olivia, or is it our beloved Lois Cerullo? She's returning to town, and I am giddy about that. Their initial love story, with Eddie (Ned) and Lois at Coney Island, was one of my favorite pairings ever on GH. I don't know if she's back for good or just a brief visit, but I hope it's the first one. Imagine L&B records recording Blaze and Eddie. That also opens the door for Brenda to return, which I want, but Sonny has his hands full right now.

Sonny and Nina are going to the island to elope right before Michael finds out that Nina is the whistleblower and ratted out Carly and Drew to the SEC. I hope that Sonny is done with Nina after that. Then it's a pattern. Sonny forgave Nina when she didn't tell his family he was alive because she fell for "Mike." But I imagine she won't easily wriggle out of it once he discovers another lie of that magnitude. I wonder if Nina will find the ghost dresses of Sonny's lovers' past in the island closet?

Readers, it's clear that when Charlotte hit puberty, Helena's crazy blood kicked in, and the evil Cassadine DNA claimed another victim. When Valentin asked if she minded if Anna moved in, did you see Charlotte's devil eyes? Yikes. I find it very disconcerting that Valentin didn't tell Anna immediately. I understand wanting to protect your kid, but the woman you love is in absolute fear, thinking some old enemy is out to get her instead of your whacked-out 15-year-old daughter who is jealous that someone is dating Papa. When Jake went to tell his mom about Charlotte, I thought he was going to tell his mom that Charlotte was dangerous, but he just admitted that they had a date.

Hudson West has grown up into such a handsome young man and could easily be the child of Jason and Liz. I love that he looked like Jason when he was a teen. I was sad for Hudson when I read his posts about Billy Miller. His death was heartbreaking, and I didn't even know him. Imagine being Hudson and having the guy who played your TV dad be gone so tragically. Ugh. When they recast Jason with Billy, I loved it. I loved it when Steve Burton returned, and they had Billy play Jason's twin Drew, and Oscar's dad.

I loved Billy from the time he was on The Young and the Restless as Billy Abbott, and when Mr. Miller came to GH, I rejoiced. A couple of years ago, when Ingo Rademacher was let go, I lamented that they should bring Billy Miller on as a recast Jax. I kept lobbying for him to return because he lit up the screen. He was pure starlight. I never imagined that his beautiful smile had so much heartache behind it. I'm still sad.

I also want to applaud Josh Kelly this week for all his fantastic work during the Sasha storyline. I love Cody with Sasha; his true friendship is the first good thing to happen to her in a long while. With all my heart, I hope that Mac is in on whatever scheme is going down with Dr. Montague in Ferncliff. I must believe this is all a setup to catch Gladys and the creepy Dr. M. Maybe I am greedy, but I want one more payoff: I want Cody to tell Mac he is Mac's son. I know this one may have to wait due to John J. York's health issues, but I am rooting for a successful treatment and a full recovery for our beloved Uncle Mac. That reunion of father and son will be even sweeter.

What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will Hay Daddy be able to fend off Ms. Wu and keep her from commandeering the Savoy? Will Portia be able to stop meddling? Will the Molly-Go-Round halt and leave us a decent Molly? Will Ava and Joss become buddies now and get mani-pedis together, since this week, Joss finally forgot that Ava switched Morgan's meds?

Will we find out what Harmony came to warn Willow about in her hospital sofa dream? (Side note: One time, I was at work and so tired that I took a nap on the sofa in the lounge at lunch. I asked a friend to wake me up. She forgot, and I slept all day, and no one noticed I was missing. Fun.) Will Dante realize how fun it is to play outside the law with Sam and quit the PCPD to become a PI? Will Eddie return to leather pants, and will Alexis fall for him again?

Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in 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 -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.