The Injustice League

Crooked judges, mobsters dispensing justice, and criminals getting sweetheart deals. Lady Justice might be blind, but the scales are far from balanced in Port Charles. Liz Masters returns with Two Scoops of crime and punishment.

What a toothless paper tiger Sonny turned out to be. After months of waiting for Gladys to get her comeuppance and the big showdown between Sonny and Gladys, we got a big ol' nothing burger for our trouble. What kind of mob boss sends an evil shrew like Gladys -- who betrayed his trust and put an innocent woman under his protection through what Gladys put Sasha through -- into exile rather than the Pine Barrens?

At the very least, Gladys should have been handed over to the police for the very real crimes that she committed. I fully expected Gladys to suffer mightily when Sonny learned the truth about her horrific deeds, but she didn't even get so much as a slap on the wrist. I was disgusted that the writers opted to give her a one-way ticket to Bridgeport, Connecticut, compliments of Sonny.

Then there is Sasha. More than anything, I want her to rise above all this trauma and thrive, but what is this nonsense about her moving to Texas? Wasn't she sent to Ferncliff because she attacked and nearly killed Cody? Isn't she still under a guardianship? How in the world does she get to pack up and move without so much as a visit with a judge or magistrate? Sonny sending Gladys to Connecticut didn't magically remove Gladys as Sasha's guardian or void the court orders for Sasha's treatment.

I hate that Gladys didn't face charges for her crimes, and I'm even more disappointed in Dante for failing to do what he should have done and arrest that horrid woman.

There is such an imbalance of justice on this show, and it makes absolutely no sense. The audience wants to see good triumph over evil and for those who do wrong to pay the price for their transgressions, especially when the villain of the story behaves in such a heartless and vile manner as Gladys did. Instead, Gladys gets away with everything, and men like Cyrus are granted an early release from prison after suffering a heart attack.

The fact that Austin testified on Cyrus' behalf was absolutely ludicrous. Last I checked, Austin was not a cardiologist, and he definitely didn't have any tests or lab work to back up his lies about Cyrus' frail health unless he falsified them. And what happened to Warden Gartner informing Cyrus that she was off to a new job and that he was on his own? The writers jumped sharks and played fast and loose with the judge's critical thinking skills to get Cyrus out of jail, but Drew gets carted back to Pentonville while crooked Judge Kim takes his sweet time righting a wrong.

That brings me to Mason. Mason has been slithering around town for months, and I'm pretty sure that he was responsible for the death of that dude in the alley who confronted Austin at the Port Charles Grill while Austin and Ava were dining with Sonny and Nina. I'm also certain that he intended to toss Ava over the cliff. Mason is bad news, and I'm glad that Dante shot him. But for reasons that I can't even begin to fathom, the writers decided to keep him alive -- for now.

I like dark and grey characters as much as the next person, as long as there is at least one redeeming quality. I haven't seen any hint of that in Mason. His treatment of Carly that night in the dive bar combined with how he talked about Ava's rejection of his advances set off all kinds of alarm bells. He definitely gave off creepy sexual predator vibes, and it just reinforced to me that Mason wasn't just bad; he was evil. The writers missed a golden opportunity to score easy points with a good chunk of the viewers by killing off Mason on that cliff, but all hope is not lost.

Mason could fall victim to a good old-fashioned murder mystery in the hospital. It's been awhile since we've had one of those.

Now, let's get to the good stuff.

Sonny and Nina are officially married, and Nina is the happiest that she's ever been. Her daughter was at her side on the special day, and Willow even gave Nina a special gift -- a turquoise necklace given to Willow by Harmony. Ouch. Props, though, to Willow for keeping a straight face as she landed that passive-aggressive blow to the center of Nina's heart. Kudos to Nina, too, for not chucking that cursed necklace out the window the first chance that she got.

By the way, I'm pretty sure that Harmony is trying to warn Willow that Michael is up to no good. I think it's Willow's subconscious raising alarm bells because she probably senses that Michael is hiding something. I think the writers are, too, and we got a glimpse of it when Michael chatted with his contact right after Sonny and Nina's wedding ceremony. Did anyone else find the mystery man somewhat familiar? I sure did. I was not alone in seeing the resemblance to one of Sonny's greatest foes -- Lorenzo Alcazar (Ted King).

To be clear, if that was indeed Alcazar, I don't think Michael is aware that his "contact" is his ex-stepfather. In today's modern day of technology -- and Cassadine latex mask technology -- there are any number of ways that Alcazar could have cultivated the relationship with Michael without Michael being any the wiser. Why would Alcazar help Michael? If Michael was able to easily connect the dots from Martin to Nina, then so could Alcazar. Sonny's new wife turning in Sonny's ex-wife is exactly the type of bombshell Alcazar would take delight in using to blow up Sonny's happy life.

I would love for Alcazar to be back because all the puzzle pieces would fall into place, starting with the assassins that had been sent to take out Sonny. Alcazar was an arms dealer with alleged ties to various federal agencies and even the WSB, and he has reason to want Sonny dead. After all, Sonny was the one who gave Jason the go-ahead to kill Alcazar that fateful night when Alcazar vanished. We never saw what transpired in the living room between the two men, but the writers laid the groundwork over the years for Alcazar to have cheated death.

Did Sonny have Jason secretly exile Alcazar to Bridgeport, Connecticut? I guess we will soon find out.

Back to Nina. Her happily-ever-after is going to be short lived because Michael has what he needs to shatter all her dreams and send her packing. What will he do with the information? Nothing good, that's what. This is a soap opera. What are the odds that Michael is going to call a family meeting and play the tape for Sonny, Willow, and Nina? Less than zero. Michael has the upper hand, and more importantly, Sonny raised him. The odds are very high that whatever path Michael choses, he will not have clean hands when this is all over.

Neither will Nina. You reap what you sow, and Nina has done a lot of sowing. The anonymous tip to the SEC wasn't about justice; it was about spite. Yes, I know that Carly and Drew broke the law, but Sonny does that on a daily basis and twice on Sundays, but I don't see Nina picking up the phone over that. Even if Michael wields the information like a weapon, Nina doesn't get a free pass. She brought all this on herself when she chose to act on her jealousy and resentment.

Nina might not have broken any laws, but I don't think Sonny will be quick to forgive her. What she did inadvertently put him in the crosshairs of the Justice Department, and it sent Drew to jail. Carly has been a witch to Nina, but she didn't actively plot to send Nina to jail because of Nina's role in Donna's life. That was Nina, who couldn't stand that Willow loves Carly.

I don't need to see Nina twist in the wind for the rest of her life, but I would like to see some accountability, atonement, and growth. This feud that she has with Carly is destructive to everyone, and it needs to stop. They don't have to be friends, but they do have to be civil, especially if Nina is going to be a part of Sonny's life. Sonny and Carly share children, so Carly isn't going anywhere. If Nina hopes to have a future with Willow and Sonny, then she's going to need to make peace with Carly.

Luckily for Nina -- and Michael, too, for that matter -- Willow has a forgiving nature. It's not in Willow's nature to hold a grudge, especially with Michael, because she's in love with him and they share two children. Nina will have a little harder time winning Willow over because she will see Nina's actions as affirmation that Nina is the same manipulative person that she's always been. That's why it's so important for the writers to allow Nina a little growth here.

I know that Nina's impulsive -- and often destructive -- choices are driven by her feelings of insecurity, but it's time for Nina to put on her big girl britches and put others first for a change. It will be a huge missed opportunity if the writers don't let that happen.

So, will Spencer heed Trina's warning about Esme? Doubtful. Spencer can't seem to stay away from Esme and Ace, and I fear that all the reminders that he has no legal claim on Ace is having a far different effect on him than people think. I don't even want to say the words because I refuse to put them out into the ether. What I will say is that Trina deserves to be with a man who puts her first.

Esme clearly has romantic feelings for Spencer, and we've seen on a couple of occasions that she made a conscious effort to be noticed by him. Remember how she showed up unannounced at the pool to spend time with Spencer and Ace? Additionally, we've heard Esme say that she wants to replace Trina on Spencer's list of priorities. Trina was spot-on when she warned Spencer that Esme would love nothing more than to play house with him, but I fear it fell on deaf ears because Spencer believes that he knows best.

I know that there are those who believe that Esme is a changed person, but I don't. Even if she has changed, the idea of her scheming against Trina doesn't sit well with me because pre-amnesia Esme darn near sent Trina to jail, and Esme has yet to pay a price for that. Just the opposite. Esme was able to take her baby off to a country club jail until the charges against her were dropped -- by Trina -- and the very real proof of her crimes was buried by Spencer. Oh, and she lives in the lap of luxury, rent-free, in Laura and Kevin's apartment. Esme made out pretty well in the grand scheme of things, while Nikolas is hiding in Europe because he's facing charges for kidnapping Esme.

If Esme can get away with her crimes, then so should Nikolas.

Finally, Valentin caught up with Anna at Metro Court's restaurant where she had been holding court all week. Valentin wanted to clear the air with her, starting with why he bought the house and ending with an assurance that the incidents against Anna had been motivated by revenge. Anna immediately perked up.

I want Valentin to be honest with Anna because she deserves it. If Nina knows about Charlotte, then so should Anna. Anna knows what Victor was capable of, and she's also familiar with the methods that Victor and the other Cassadines deployed on the people they tried to control. If you love someone, you trust them. It's time for Valentin to trust Anna and enlist her help to figure out how Victor turned Charlotte against Anna.

I love Valentin and Anna's relationship, and I think they could have a happy home with Charlotte, but they have to trust each other. Charlotte needs stability, and she could benefit from seeing her father in a healthy relationship.

I do not believe that Charlotte set fire to Anna's house or that she vandalized Anna's room. She might have spray-painted the first message on Anna's door, but I just can't see Charlotte being that destructive. That's not her style; she prefers snakes over spray paint. I suspect Charlotte went to Anna's room to snoop for something that she could use to prove that Anna was everything that Victor said she was. That's why Anna noticed her mail being disturbed on a couple of occasions. Likely, Charlotte found the room in disarray, and she immediately fled. Had Valentin and Nina bothered to watch the whole footage, they probably would have seen Charlotte fleeing Anna's room in fright moments after entering it.

Is Victor alive? Who knows. Cassadines are a wily bunch, and they have more lives than a cat. What I do know is that something else is going on because one letter shouldn't have had the power to turn Charlotte against Anna. It was well written, but not that good.

I just love Laura. Not only was she the voice of reason when Valentin told her about his suspicions that Charlotte was behind Anna's troubles, but bless her heart, she also didn't waste time talking to Charlotte. Go, Laura! Now, get some tips from Kevin about how to get Charlotte to open up.

I get the distinct feeling that Blaze isn't really who we think she is. Oh, she's a budding singer and seems like a genuinely good person, but she's hiding things. The lady has secrets, and I found it very interesting that Blaze's grandmother had worked at the hotel on Sonny's island, yet Blaze apparently had no idea who Sonny's daughter was. It's not like Sonny is a boring businessman. He's an infamous mob boss.

Finn has come a long way. His relationship with Liz was so toxic at one point that I really thought that she would be better off without him. However, Finn is putting in the work, and so far, it's paying off. I'm not ready to get invested in them again, but I do like where things are headed and am keeping an open mind. I'm looking forward to their romantic getaway.

Is anyone else already sick of hearing Portia & Curtis saying, "our daughter?" Is Taggert completely forgotten? The first 20 years of Trina's life? -- Lucky Lady

And I'm still waiting for Tracy to show her vulnerability with Gregory. I HOPE it is a misdiagnosis for Gregory's ALS. Or, at the very least, that some other physician can find alternate treatments to prolong his life. I would love it if Tracy actually fell in love with Gregory. They have such instant chemistry. That's rare, but when it happens, TPTB should take note and write a terrific love story--one that the viewer could believe. -- Nancy Dillingham

As for Charlotte -- I love a villainess in training. I have not had one since Starr Manning hit puberty and discovered boys. Charlotte and malicious mischief could be a wonderful storyline given her genetics. I think she is the culprit, but I am just one voice. And no she is not the MC sniper -- that one was aiming for Sonny. -- Humor Me

What are your thoughts about what's going on on General Hospital? Do you agree or disagree with anything that I've shared in this week's column? I love hearing from everyone and reading your thoughts, so drop me a comment in the Comments section below. You can also join us over on the message boards for even more conversation!

Take care and happy viewing,Liz Masters

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