Dead man walking in Port Charles

Jason is back from the dead, but is he really gunning for Sonny? Will Nina's fears about Sonny's feelings fading and moving on be realized? There's a lot to unpack this week, including a Spixie reunion, Ava's mission to help Nina, and where things go from here now that there are new writers on board. Let's discuss in this week's Two Scoops with Liz Masters.

Jason is back in action, and I have a million questions -- starting with what happened on Cassadine Island, where has he been, and why did it take him so long to break free from whoever has been gunning for Sonny? Most viewers aren't really surprised by this development because no one really believed that Jason had died in that tunnel collapse. It's a well-known rule in soaps that no body means the door is open for a return, so seeing Jason back home is a welcome sight because it's going to provide us with a multitude of emotional reunions, change the course of several people, and hopefully give us plenty of good storyline for the foreseeable future and beyond.

No one more than Danny needs to see Jason, and of all the big moments with Jason that I'm looking forward to, this is one of my top three. Jake and Liz are my other two. Danny has been struggling. He's sneaking out (I'm still trying to wrap my mind around him climbing down the fire escape of a high-rise building), drinking alcohol, and vaping. Sam fears that he's just like Jason, internalizing everything and drawn to the rush of danger. Even Carly took some time out to have a little heart-to-heart talk with Danny about his father and how much Danny reminded her of Jason.

My issue with this narrative is that Jason Morgan is a result of a traumatic brain injury when he was a young man. He was born Jason Quartermaine, and that man was very much Lila's grandson. Jason Q was charming, studious, affable, generous, and kindhearted. If Danny inherited personality traits from Jason, those traits came from Jason Quartermaine. I love Carly, and I know that she was trying to help Danny, but Jason Morgan was shaped by a horrific accident that resulted in a life-changing head injury -- and Sonny.

The man who emerged from the coma had no past and no emotional connection to people, and he was prone to fits of rage. Jason Morgan didn't like to be touched or handled, and he resented people treating him like a child. He didn't understand the concept of time or humor, was brutally honest, saw things in black and white, and was impervious to sensations like cold or pain. He suspected it was nerve damage from the accident.

The other day, I went back and watched clips of Jason from 1996 and 1997 to refresh my memory, and the man I saw knew exactly what he was doing. He was frustrated and had a short fuse, but it was never unprovoked. When Edward forbade Jason from driving his own sports car because the family worried that Jason would get lost or wreck the car, Jason went out and bought a motorcycle, which he promptly drove into the mansion's living room to prove a point. It wasn't a spontaneous thing, but rather calculated to make certain that his message was received loud and clear.

During one of Jason's first post-accident conversations with Sonny at Luke's over cheeseburgers, it was clear that Jason resented being made to feel as if he didn't measure up to "Saint Jason." Sonny was one of the few people who accepted Jason just as he was without making Jason feel damaged or less than. Sonny wasn't trying to change him back into Jason Quartermaine, and Jason appreciated that.

As time passed and Jason healed from his TBI, he became more taciturn. Carly credited Jason with learning self-discipline, but it was so much more than that. Jason became the master of his own fate, and with that, his confidence grew. Jason's emotions also evolved over time, too. In the beginning, he showed little empathy for people, but as he gained friends and lovers, he began to understand and feel the complex emotions that seemed elusive to him in the beginning.

I will always have a soft spot for Jason because I loved him as Jason Quartermaine, and I had the unique perspective of having lived through a similar situation when my sister suffered a TBI in a horrific car accident. However, I don't like Jason painted as someone larger than life to his sons. Both boys are old enough to Google their father's name, so it's time for some difficult but honest conversations with their mothers. That's what I want to see.

I don't want Jake or Danny to hate their father, but they should understand that events shaped Jason into who he was and that he chose a path that he would not want either son to take. Danny especially needs to hear that message and get encouragement to become his own man. That's the lesson that Danny could take away from Jason's journey. Luckily, Danny will soon have an opportunity to hear it from the man himself, and I'm eager to see that happen.

Now, let's talk about Jason's current predicament. Jason arrived with a sniper intent on killing Sonny, but he quickly foiled the man's efforts. When his partner turned on him, Jason shot and killed the man. I can't imagine that's going to go over well with whoever sent Jason and the sniper to take Sonny out. Failing to report back to home base might also cause problems with the mystery person.

It quickly became clear that Jason was not suffering from amnesia. He recognized Dante and found his way to Carly's place. But it was also apparent that Jason hasn't been keeping tabs on things in Port Charles because he was shocked to learn that Bobbie had died. That was such a powerful moment when Carly told him. You could see from the expression his face how much Bobbie had meant to him. In fact, from the moment that Jason called out to Carly, his emotions were written all over his face, which I found quite interesting. Jason has always been stoic, so seeing him that expressive was noteworthy.

Was it a natural consequence of reuniting with someone near and dear to his heart or is there something else going on with Jason? There has to be because the Jason that we knew would have died before helping an enemy of Sonny's. The only way to force Jason's compliance would be through blackmail, and even then, it would take an imminent threat to a loved one to make him cooperate.

I've been a Liason (Liz and Jason) fan from the moment those two laid eyes on each other. I was so hoping that Jason would go to Liz for help, especially after I realized that he'd been shot while helping Dante. As much as I was disappointed that Jason went to Carly's place, I do understand why he did. He loves and trusts her, and she's a direct line to Sonny. Will Jason and Carly rekindle their romance? I have no idea, but I'm in no rush for Jason to find romance with anyone until I have more answers about what's been going on with him.

At the moment, Jason has a lot on his plate that requires his immediate attention, including his sons, but first, he will have to find a safe harbor because he is now on the lam, not just from the FBI and PCPD, but also from whoever has been in charge of this circus for the last few years. Sonny is Jason's best option, despite the fact that he's been the intended victim, but will Sonny help? Sonny has his doubts because Ava is certain that Jason has turned against him.

I don't blame Ava for making that assumption, but I thought better of Sonny. Sonny should realize that all the attempts on his life up to now have failed. If Jason had really wanted Sonny dead, then Sonny would be dead. Unfortunately, Sonny has been dealing with a lot of betrayal lately, so his defenses are on high alert. He might give Jason a soft landing, but he might not be quick to let Jason back in. It's going to be interesting to see how things play out between these longtime friends and brothers in arms.

The person I don't quite trust yet in this whole saga is John. I want to because Adam Harrington is a great actor, he's easy on the eyes, he's got great chemistry with several leading ladies -- especially Carly -- and I definitely loved the way John called Sonny out for sexually exploiting Karen Wexler and getting her hooked on drugs. It bothers me all these years later, especially understanding firsthand the trauma of abuse, that Sonny still tries to mitigate the damage that he did to Karen.

Sonny says that he knows what he did to Karen was wrong, but then he says that he was abused, too, and that Karen came to him. That's not taking responsibility. Today, we would call what Sonny did grooming. He plied Karen with drugs to lower her inhibitions, so that she -- a minor -- would strip in his sleezy nightclub. Once Karen became hooked on those pills, Sonny used her addiction to manipulate her for his own ends. To add insult to injury, he victim blamed her when she opened up to him about the sexual abuse that she had suffered at the hands of her stepfather.

I'd have more respect for Sonny if he would just own it. No excuses. Just admit that he was a pig in those days and that John is entitled to his anger, because the bottom line is that you don't get people you care about hooked on drugs and have them strip on a pole, especially when they are too young to consent. What Sonny did was illegal, not just immoral. I wish he would remember how he felt when Shiloh targeted Kristina, because what he did to Karen was far worse. Sonny was never a friend to Karen; he was her destruction!

It was disgusting to listen to Sonny try to turn the tables on John by calling John out for not visiting Stone more often because Sonny knew darn well that Stone's friendship with him was a bone of contention with John because of Karen. Stone knew his brother loved him, and Sonny doesn't get to take the high road because he took care of Stone in his final days and dedicated a wing at the hospital to him.

Sonny's history with Karen will always be a black mark against him. Prohibiting drug trafficking in his territory was great, but it doesn't atone for his wrongs. He's still a criminal. John turned away from a life of crime and went into law enforcement. Until I see otherwise, Sonny has no right to cast stones at John.

Sonny should also be careful about playing with fire because that's exactly what he's doing with Ava. Sparks are flying between them as they lean on each other and grow ever closer thanks to the dangers around them. It's only a matter of time before they lock lips and hit the sheets, which would definitely not go over well with Nina. Nina considers Ava her very best friend, so she would go scorched earth on her bestie if Ava hooked up with Sonny. I'd be lying if I said that a part of me isn't hoping for exactly that. What delicious soapy fun it would be to see Ava and Nina square off and go to war with each other.

I never understood how Ava could be friends with someone who violated Ava the way that Nina did. It was weird and so out of character for Ava, who is not one to easily forgive and forget.

Besides all the action, we had some really sweet moments between Spinelli and Maxie. After a little heart-to-heart talk with Cody and Sasha about their meddling ways, Maxie decided to pay Spinelli a visit to talk things out. However, when she got there, Spinelli was still reeling from discovering that Stone Cold was alive and kicking. Seconds later, John showed up looking for camera footage and threatening to toss both Spinelli and Maxie in jail if Spinelli didn't cough it up. Spinelli refused to let Maxie suffer one second behind bars, so he handed over the file and the password: Maximista.

And just like that, Maxie's heart melted, and all was forgiven. I'm so happy that these two are getting their second chance. I love seeing a happy family on soaps amidst all the dysfunction, especially when there are children involved. Kirsten Storms and Bradford Anderson have always had wonderful chemistry, and both Maxie and Spinelli complement each other. I'm tired of watching Maxie getting her heart torn to shreds, so a nice happily ever after with Spinelli is long overdue. At least with Spinelli, we know that he has good intentions and genuinely loves Maxie.

I'm also still holding out hope that Drew offers Maxie the job at Crimson, especially now that Brook Lynn and Tracy put their cards on the table and came to an understanding about their working relationship. I really enjoyed those scenes, not just because of the unexpected honesty from both Brook Lynn and Tracy, but also because of their vulnerability as they opened up about their motivations. I love this side of Tracy, and I hope she stays on this path. But not with Lucy. I'm Team Tracy all the way.

I worry, though, because everyone seems to be encouraging Tracy to get involved with Gregory, despite Gregory's terminal diagnosis. If it were my grandmother, I wouldn't be pushing her to fall in love with someone she will soon lose, especially when she's still grieving the loss of the love of her life. Of course, if Marshall can have a misdiagnosis, so can Gregory. Here's hoping.

Folks, Marshall's troubles leave me feeling meh. Why would Marshall get arrested at a protest and sent to a psych ward instead of jail? Also, why would he think a diagnosis of schizophrenia was accurate when he's never had any symptoms prior to his arrest? Most people would get a second opinion rather than peace out on their family and disappear. I feel like Marshall is a victim of his own poor choices to some extent because he never questioned the diagnosis or tried to return to his family when it became clear that he was asymptomatic.

I'm also not sure if I want to see Stella and Marshall navigate a romance. I just don't get romance vibes from them. They are really good friends with history and loved ones in common, but they don't seem compatible as lovers. Both are very much set in their ways, unbelievably stubborn, and very opinionated. My Oma and Opa were like that. They bickered constantly and ended up divorced after 35 miserable years of marriage.

What's the deal with Spinelli's closet-sized office, and why does everyone in town know where it is? You'd think with all that expensive equipment and the fact that he deals in cybersecurity, it would be better protected and not so easily accessible.

How did John and Anna get a warrant for a midnight raid of a private residence? I believe they need probable cause to go before a judge, and that requires more than a suspicion.

I'm impressed that Nina has the time to worry about her marriage, between learning the ropes of a new profession, interviewing columnists for her flame page, and running her half of a luxury five-star hotel. When does she sleep?

Now that Rocco is a 14-to-15-year-old, does that make Charlotte an adult, since she's five years older than her brother? It's hard to keep up with these things, since no one is safe these days. SORAS (Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome) even strikes the unborn on GH.

Honestly , the viewers seem to know more ways to make people talk than these mobsters. -- Laura Luke

Any time someone screams "But Carly started the war with Nina!" No, she didn't. The whole family had been traumatized by Nelle. Anything that happened in the immediate aftermath of Nelle's death was a sort of PTSD reaction.* It was never anything malicious aimed at Nina. I would grant Carly and Nina both some grace in dealing with what happened in the beginning, but Nina never let it go. She's like a dog with a toy. -- FleurdiLisa

Carly and Michael hired Dex to protect him because Jason wasn't around. None of them mentioned that part. Sonny only heard you are weak rather than we wanted to help. He's a man/child. Also, they are setting it up for a reunion of sorts with Ava. They never told Sonny what the evidence Dex got on him. Sonny would flip if he knew that. -- Terry

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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