Raising Cain

Drew is angry, Sonny is bitter, Jason is on a secret mission, and Heather has cobalt poisoning. Meanwhile, the past appears to be changing as quickly as the present, begging the question -- to what end? Liz Masters is back with Two Scoops of truth and consequences.

Buckle up, dear readers, I'm livid. I hate nothing more than revisionist history, whether it's from the writers or the characters, and we were given quite a bit of just that in recent weeks, starting with Sonny when Lois stopped by with some baked ziti and a friendly ear. What the writers put into Sonny's mouth was nothing short of lies, and I'm so grateful that my friend Vanessa warned me before I watched that particular episode later that evening.

Never mind the decades of unwavering loyalty that Jason has shown Sonny -- often to the detriment of Jason's own wife, lover, and/or children. Let's look at what happened when Sonny returned from Nixon Falls with his memory intact and his secrets about Nina safely hidden. Jason didn't hesitate to walk away from his newfound love and marriage to Carly the second that Sonny reappeared in their lives. He put Sonny ahead of his own happiness -- as usual -- and he stepped back into his role as Sonny's enforcer and business partner. The idea that Sonny would question Jason's loyalty up until that point is as insulting as it is repugnant. Sonny is the faithless friend, not Jason.

Sonny's tale of woe continued with his incredibly one-sided accounting of the breakdown of his marriage. Let's be clear, Carly had every right to question Sonny's commitment to her when she learned that he not only had an affair with Nina in Nixon Falls but sided with her in court against Michael. Sonny kept secrets, and worse, he kept having clandestine meetings with Nina to discuss those secrets. That is not working on the marriage, and it was disingenuous of him to skip over the fact that Carly caught him bumping uglies with Nina.

Sonny took zero accountability for his role in the breakdown of his marriage, even though he was the one who kept acting on his feelings for another woman. Had their roles been reversed, and it was Carly who had kept seeking out Jason and whispering in corners, Sonny would have taken Jason out to the Pine Barrens. But that didn't happen. Jason stayed away, and Carly tried to pick up the pieces of her life that Sonny and Nina kept shattering.

I get that Sonny is worried about Dante, but the facts don't point to Jason as the shooter. The rooftop footage clearly established that Jason was not even holding so much as a pocketknife when the shots were fired into the warehouse. It was Hamish who fired at Sonny. Furthermore, if Jason had intended to kill Dante, he wouldn't have stayed behind to render aid and call 9-1-1. Nor would Jason have gone to the mansion to get first aid from Carly, because Jason would not have put her in that position with Sonny or deceived Carly in such a heartless way.

I also take issue with this narrative that Drew is spinning about Jason and Carly being each other's true love and the reason that none of Carly's relationships ever lasted. Do Jason and Carly love each other? Yes. They have been the closest of friends for over two (three if you factor in Michael's SORAS) decades, and they have always been there for each other. They started out as lovers, but that quickly burned out, and what rose from those ashes turned out to be a friendship far more enduring.

There's no disputing that Jason and Carly have always been each other's ride or die, but there have been plenty of times over the years where Jason has made it very clear -- including to Carly -- that his feelings for her were no longer romantic. Some of that had to do with his deep and abiding love for Sonny, whom he considered a brother. Jason's loves were Robin Scorpio-Drake, his first wife Courtney Matthews, and both Sam and Liz, who had the distinction of also being the mothers of his sons.

I realize that Jason told Carly that he was in love with her when they got married, but to me, if felt more like he had opened himself up to that because he cared about Carly and wanted to go into their marriage of necessity with the intention it being a real and lasting marriage. Had it not been for that, I don't believe that Jason and Carly's relationship would have turned romantic. If Jason had been in love with Carly, he wouldn't have stepped aside. He would have stayed and fought for her, Sonny be dammed.

Instead, Jason walked away and ended up vanishing. The story is a bit convoluted. Apparently, he was stymied in the tunnels on Cassadine Island and forced to find an alternative route to Britt. As he made his way on the island, two men (presumably FBI) abducted him and brought him to a "room with no windows," which turned out to be an interrogation room. In flashbacks, we learned that Jason was approached by Agent John Cates and threatened with RICO charges that carried a sentence of 20 years unless Jason went to work for a military contractor as a mercenary.

My guess is that John threatened to slap Carly with those RICO charges, since I can't see Jason agreeing to cooperate in order to spare himself time in jail. Remember, Carly had been in charge of Sonny's organization for much of the time that Sonny was in Nixon Falls, so it's very possible that the government was able to collect evidence against her. Although, if they had, what was all that nonsense with the SEC about? Regardless, Jason was blackmailed, and it was revealed that it was his first time back in Port Charles since his disappearance two-and-a-half years ago. That means that Jason couldn't have fired at Sonny during the shooting at Metro Court pool, despite Selina's cockamamie theory that Jason shot Curtis on Sonny's orders.

It's also unlikely that Jason was involved in the shooting in Puerto Rico, since we now know that Jason would not take aim at Sonny, even under orders. Foiling the sniper's shot at the warehouse told us that. The question now is whether Jason was taking orders from John or if John is just another cog in the wheel and someone higher up has been pulling everyone's strings. I want John to be a good guy, not the person behind the missing cache of guns and the recent murders of mob bosses. Adam Harrington has chemistry with everyone he shares a scene with, and I like that there's someone who doesn't buy into Sonny's mobster with a heart of gold schtick.

Plus, why would John kill Austin and send Ava the murder weapon and threatening messages? It doesn't make sense. We know that Cyrus was trying to cut Sonny out and work with Pikeman, so Austin was definitely mixed up in whatever was going on with Sonny and, by extension, Jason and John.

I've read that Jason's return has undergone some edits and changes from the original storyline idea and that the new writers have had influence on what we've seen unfold. I don't know to what extent things were changed, but I take issue with how both Liz and Jake have been completely left out of things so far. It feels a bit like a slap in the face to Liason (Liz and Jason) fans.

I'm no Jarly (Jason and Carly) fan, but I was genuinely happy for their fanbase when they got their reunion. It was beautifully written, and both Laura Wright and Steve Burton did a phenomenal job reconnecting as characters and actors. I was equally pleased with both Danny and Michael's reunions with Jason, and but when Willow got to see Jason before Jake or Liz, I got miffed. Nothing against Willow, but Liz has always been Jason's go-to nurse, ever since she watched over him while he recuperated in her art studio.

I also feel equally bad for Jasam (Jason and Sam) fans because Sam is being written completely out of character by questioning Jason's role in Dante's shooting instead of wondering what kind of extraordinary circumstance would have kept Jason away from his loved ones and children for over two years. Yes, I'm aware that Sam might not be thinking clearly at the moment because the man she loves if fighting for his life, but this is Jason we're talking about. She was his partner in crime for years, and I hate that the writers are not respecting that history.

Honestly, it's a bit surprising that neither Sam nor Liz will be the endgame for Jason. The Jarly anvils are both obvious and ridiculously blatant. If the idea is to grow ratings and bring back lost viewers, it seems to me that appealing to juggernaut fanbases like the Jasam and Liason lovers would be a no-brainer. One thing that I think both can agree on is their dislike for a Jarly romance. Carly might be friends with Sam and Liz now, but she was awful to each woman through the years because of her jealousy and possessiveness over Jason...

...two emotions that Drew seems to be well acquainted with these days. No sooner did he learn that Jason was alive, than he turned pea green with envy and decided that Jason would always come first with Carly, at least over him. Kudos to Carly for admitting that it was true, but I can't help but wonder if she would have had a different answer if Drew hadn't been such an angry hot mess since leaving Pentonville.

Drew was dead wrong about his assessment of Carly, too, because Jason isn't the only man that she will always put first. There are Michael and Sonny, too. Not only is Sonny the father of three of her children (I include Michael because Sonny raised him), but she married him a half dozen times for the better part of 30 years if you factor in all the times Michael was aged with SORAS (Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome). What Carly has shared with Sonny over the years doesn't come close to touching what she had with Jason. Contrary to what Nina believes about her love with Sonny, it's Carly who was Sonny's true soul mate, and it's why Carly remains loyal to Sonny and always will.

Drew acted like a jerk, not just by getting upset because Carly didn't call him the instant Jason showed up, but also by running all over town to tell people that he and Carly were over. I also hated how he seemed perfectly happy to throw his own brother under the bus by believing the worst about Jason, even though Drew literally had Jason's memories downloaded and therefore has unique insight into what makes Jason tick and how he thinks. Listening to Drew tear his own brother down just reminded me of how much I've grown to dislike the man that Drew has become over the past couple of years.

All Drew does these days is stomp around, throw temper tantrums, and whisper-scream at people. He also looks unkempt and scruffy, as if he hasn't bathed for days and as if he slept in the clothes he's wearing.

I wonder if Drew ever had hip replacement surgery.

That brings me to Heather's diagnosis of cobalt poisoning, compliments of degrading metal used in Heather's hip replacement years earlier. Apparently, the poisoning is what has been driving Heather to kill and wreak havoc on the good citizens of Port Charles for quite some time. And there you have it, the door to Heather's redemption has been kicked open and knocked off its hinges. Will Heather wake up from the surgery a changed person and ready to rejoin society?

Absolutely. Fricken. Not.

I don't care if Heather has the soul and disposition of St. Mother Theresa, it can't undo the heinous things that Heather has inflicted on innocent people for decades on end. Unless Heather got that hip implant at birth, it doesn't explain the years of stalking people that she became obsessed with, selling her son on the black market, her attempt to kill Diana Taylor -- not just drugging her with LSD like Laura tried to suggest -- blackmailing Naomi Dreyfus for decades, giving her cousin's twin son away at birth, and the murder of Ross Duncan. Those are just the highlights through 2004.

Cobalt poisoning or not, Heather belongs behind bars. That said, she can sit in Shadybrook if she's no longer a danger to the world at large. Now that Laura is a new fan, she can stop by with Ace for visits. But under no circumstances do I want to see Heather living her best life a free woman.

Now, let's talk about Trina and why there aren't missing posters with her face on them plastered all around town. Did Casey the alien beam her up for a visit to his home planet? Did she get lost in the attic? Seriously, where is Trina? I find it incredibly disingenuous to have her go through the heartbreaking ordeal of watching Spencer "die" only for her to take a back seat at his funeral and then to all but vanish just one or two episodes later. It gives the impression that Trina's only worth is in being the love interest for Spencer.

Trina is more than the other half of Sprina (Spencer and Trina), and this time away from Spencer should be an opportunity to let Tabyana Ali shine and stretch her acting wings as Trina navigates her crushing grief and moves on from losing her first love. As someone recently reminded me, the writers had months to prepare for Nicholas Alexander Chavez's hiatus and to come up with a good storyline for Trina.

If nothing else, it would have been the perfect time for Trina to reconnect with Taggert and perhaps find strength in helping Taggert heal from his own broken heart. It could be such an empowering and healing story, especially since there's a guaranteed happy ending when Spencer returns.

Instead, we get Marshall's pity party, another frustrating exercise in revisionist history. Look, there's no dispute that Dr. Braddock was a terrible psychiatrist if he misdiagnosed a patient with schizophrenia. That he did it because Marshall was Black, young, and poor makes the doctor both a racist and an overall horrible human being who deserves to rot in hell. However, how does it explain the ongoing malpractice by the psychiatrists who followed Dr. Braddock? Marshall had to see psychiatrists in order to continue receiving prescriptions for his medication, which he took until recently. Are we to believe that none of them ever questioned the diagnosis when Marshall remained symptom free year after year?

For me, the misdiagnosis doesn't absolve Marshall of the poor choices he made after being released from the hospital. He was a free man, so before abandoning his family, he owed it to them to get a second opinion. It's not cool that Marshall walked out on two young boys and left both Irene and Stella to raise and support them without any financial help from him. In my book, that makes him a deadbeat dad and worse. Once he realized that he was no longer a danger to himself or anyone, he should have returned to his family. Staying away was an ongoing choice.

Moving on, things have heated up between Blaze and Kristina. I was so happy when I first saw sparks between the two because I thought a nice healthy relationship was exactly what Kristina needed. When Molly and T.J. agreed to take Kristina up on the offer of an egg and a womb, I had hoped that a romance with Blaze would keep Kristina from growing too attached to the baby growing inside because more than anything, I don't want to see Kristina and Molly have a custody battle for the baby. Despite Blaze's reluctance to go public with their relationship because she wasn't ready to come out, I thought that things were on a good track for these two ladies. Indeed, it wasn't long before Blaze and Kristina made love.

At the time, my only concern had been for Kristina again, because I saw signs of trouble when she admitted to feeling a moment of possessiveness over the baby. I still suspect that things will only get more complicated, but now I have other worries, too. Namely, Blaze's sudden 180 shift in personality, which happened as soon as her mother Natalia showed up. Gone was the kindhearted, gentle, driven young woman with a beautiful smile and easy nature. She was replaced by a brusque and confrontational person who became way too intense with Kristina. I don't have an issue with public displays of affection, but I feel like Blaze went from zero to 60 in the blink of an eye.

Everything about Blaze is suddenly full throttle, even the way she keeps referring to Kristina as her girlfriend. At the same time, Kristina seems to have the opposite vibe. Like she's into Blaze, just not as much as Blaze is into her. I hope I'm wrong because I really do want Kristina to find some happiness with someone who inspires her to be a better version of herself, but her history in the romance department doesn't bode well.

I'm an Eva LaRue fan, so I'm thrilled to see her on GH. I loved her as Maria Santos on All My Children, and as Natalia Boa Vista on CSI: Miami. She is a fantastic actress and an excellent addition to the cast who will make a tremendous contribution if given good material to sink her teeth into. Having her evolve from her preconceived prejudicial views on homosexuality is a good start, but I'm hoping for more. Much more.

Good thing there's a full moon illuminating the grounds of the Quartermaine estate and the inside of the boathouse. Otherwise, I'm afraid everyone would be stumbling all over each other and breaking their fool necks as they traipsed back and forth between the gatehouse and boathouse.

So, T.J. is worried about Sonny's connection to his unborn baby because it would be Sonny's biological grandchild. What about all the years T.J. has been cohabitating with Sonny's niece Molly? I hate to break it to you, T.J., but Sonny has been a part of your family for years.

Why are Rocco and Danny not permitted at the hospital? Rocco is Dante's son, and he has every right to be sitting right next to Sam. He should not be denied an opportunity to be with his father in case the worst should happen. When my husband was sick, I spent weeks in the ICU, during which time I saw children visiting loved ones. They limit the number of patients in ICU, but not the age.

If Spinelli had cameras all over the pier and warehouse and a drone flying overhead, shouldn't one of them have picked up Dante's shooting?

Nina calls Sonny "My HUSBAND" like she used to call Wiley "My GRANDSON," and Willow "My DAUGHTER!" It's just more proof about how obsessively possessive she really is! Every time Nina said "My HUSBAND" to Ava, it was like she was swinging those words like a hammer, and Ava was the nail! -- Scrimmage

Does anyone else have this image of Jason hanging out with that hit man for the last 6 months & jostling his arm every time he tried to shoot anyone? That is hilarious. How many times can you do that before the guy catches on? Why did he even take Jason to that roof? Jason didn't do anything. -- Kathie

The only reason I'm shipping this Ava-Sonny ONS/relationship is because of the soapy goodness it would cause, and it's been a long time since GH has had a hookup that affected a lot of people. Nina would absolutely lose it, Carly would definitely be upset about it and I could already feel the judgement from Michael. -- BCAD

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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