Riders on the Storm

Does it feel like something bad is about to happen to Ava? What's really going on with Finn, and will it be the undoing of his relationship with Liz? Something wicked this way comes as a storm brews on the horizon. Let's discuss in this week's Two Scoops of gloom and doom.

Yikes, there are dark days ahead for quite a few people from the looks of it. Trouble stirs everywhere, so let's kick things off with Jack Brennan, who is definitely up to no good as he recuperates from a self-inflicted stab wound, handcuffed to one of General Hospital's comfy beds, while he plots evil supervillain things with his secret partner in crime, Valentin. What is Brennan up to? Could he be planning an escape? Most assuredly, and it's curious to me that it hasn't occurred to anyone else.

While Brennan bides his time, he got a visit from his not-so-secret crush Carly Spencer. I realize that she isn't everyone's cup of tea and that she's a flawed character, but I like her. That wasn't always the case, but the arrival of Nelle followed by the fiasco that was Nixon Falls made her grow on me. She's not my favorite character -- that would be Liz -- but I find her entertaining. Laura Wright is a wonderful actress, and she has oodles of chemistry with her co-stars, including Charles Mesure. Had he not turned out to be a baddie, I could have rooted for a romance between Brennan and Carly.

Alas, that was not to be, and it's for that reason that Carly has no business being inserted into the Pikeman storyline. I don't care if her very best friend in the whole wide world is involved, Carly is out of place in this storyline, and she's way out of her league in a game of wits against Brennan. Not only does Carly have no idea what's really going on, but she looks ridiculous trying to manipulate a criminal mastermind into spilling his secrets. Brennan might be handsome and debonaire, but he wouldn't hesitate to slit her throat if it meant saving himself.

This is Jason and Anna's storyline, and I would prefer that we not have Carly mucking things up with her futile attempts to pump Brennan for information. Carly is better served focusing on Sonny and trying to figure out why he's acting so manic. He needs someone to save him, and it's not going to be Ava.

Carly's scenes with Sonny following the altercation with Dex showcased the incredible history these two have thanks to decades of dedicated writing. I have no desire to see Sonny and Carly rekindle anything other than a friendship, but seeing Sonny spiraling into mania is not entertaining. I also have an issue with all the awful things he's been doing, knowing that at some point, his fragile mental state is going to be used as a get-out-of-jail-free card. It's one thing if he was just being self-destructive, but it's gone beyond that. He has escalated to physically hurting others.

I know that soap justice is far different than real justice, but I can't see Sonny walking away from this storyline without some kind of repercussions for his choices and the life of crime he led. Too many people in his life have repeatedly talked about how they can no longer turn a blind eye to the awful things he's done, including Dante, who told Kristina the truth about the circumstances of his shooting. Dante explained that Sonny had shot him intentionally and that it hadn't been done in the heat of the moment. Sonny had been calm, cool, and collected when he pulled the trigger.

I don't need to see Sonny in jail to make amends for his past, but maybe it's time for him to retire. It could be an interesting direction to explore -- and a way for Sonny to atone for some of his countless sins. Anything is possible in Port Charles. Just look at Dex, who went from mob goon to police cadet in a few easy steps.

Meanwhile, the writers are taking the opposite approach with Ava. It turns out that she's been quite a busy little bee over the past few years while we weren't looking. Not only did she enlist Fergus Byrne's help to get Alexis' law license yanked as payback for always being Julian's downfall, but I'm more certain than ever that she's been playing Nina all along. Ava's veneer of civility is slipping. Not only did she show her spicy side to Nina in front of Maxie, but that exchange with Josslyn in front of Trina was jarring. I'm waiting for Trina to call Ava out on that in the very near future.

If Ava turned up dead, there would be no shortage of suspects. Is that where this is headed? Will Sonny find out that his meds had been tampered with, assume it was Ava, and fly into a homicidal rage? Will Valentin figure out that Ava discovered the truth about the pills and silence her before she can share what she uncovered? Framing Sonny for that would be painfully easy. Kristina has had a short fuse lately, and we all know how protective she is of Sonny. Even Alexis might be considered a suspect. They did have a recent confrontation, and Alexis tossed out a threat as she left. I hope I'm wrong because I definitely don't want Maura West going anywhere, but Ava can't possibly escape this mess of her own making unscathed.

Ava has pretty much boxed herself into a corner with Sonny, and she's playing a very dangerous game with his medication.

Now, let's talk about Finn. He's reeling from Gregory's death and trying to get his footing. After taking himself to a meeting to get his sobriety back on track, he paid Liz a visit and apologized for the way he treated her when she raced over to his apartment to check on him and found him drinking -- while Violet was home. Liz accepted the apology, but she made it clear that her primary concern had been for her niece. Finn said all the right words, but there was a decided chill that remained between them, which suggests to me that Finn and Liz's days as a couple are numbered if not already over. Finn's lips said "sorry," but his eyes were filled with a swirl of emotions, none of which boded well for Liz.

Like Liz, I felt that Finn's hostility toward her was uncalled for. All she wanted to do was safeguard Violet from a father who had struggled with addiction, was making poor choices, and was drinking. I sensed a lot of repressed anger behind that exchange when he tossed her out, and I don't think Liz deserved it. That rage continues to smolder because I saw a glimpse of it again when she stopped by his office and offered to pick up Violet while he went to a meeting. It was just a flash and gone in an instant, but unmistakable.

Things were a lot different when Finn paid Alexis a visit. Folks, I saw more chemistry between Alexis and Finn than I have between Finn and Liz in a very long time. It's not the actors, it's Finn and Liz, and the lackluster writing for them. I know that Alexis and Finn are just friends, which speaks volumes about the sad state that Finn and Liz are in. I was hopeful that they would find their groove after getting back together, but it never happened. I can't remember the last time Finn and Liz had a love scene or even alluded to being intimate, and in recent months, they've acted more like old friends than lovers.

Finn is obviously going through a lot of stuff, and I suspect that Gregory's diagnosis triggered something in him that he has yet to recognize. His father's passing is only adding fuel to it. I get the sense that Finn is restless and about to embark on a journey that won't include Liz, which is why he's taking his frustrations out on her and pushing her away. I'm more than okay with that. Both Liz and Finn deserve better than to settle for a passionless relationship.

That brings me to Alexis and her love for practicing law. Will she get her law license reinstated or not? I hope so because I liked her best as a lawyer, and I really detest Fergus. I do not want that odious man to succeed in his endeavor. Alexis has her faults, but she was a brilliant lawyer, which might come in handy navigating the choppy waters ahead for Molly and Kristina. Red flags have been popping up everywhere between these two. The latest one was Molly's vow to keep Kristina's drama far away from the baby. I can't blame Molly for feeling that way, but even if everything goes exactly as planned and Molly and T.J. get full legal custody of the baby, Kristina will always be in the picture because she's Molly's sister. That means, so will Kristina's drama.

I'd like to believe that Alexis is smart enough to stay out of Molly and Kristina's battle for the baby, but it's a soap, so that's not likely to happen. Would Alexis be Team Kristina or Team Molly? It's a hard call because on one hand, Alexis knows that Kristina was the one who not only proposed the surrogacy arrangement but was also the driving force behind it. It took months -- and a miscarriage -- for Molly and T.J. to agree to Kristina donating her egg and carrying their child, and they only did so after Kristina's repeated assurances and promises that she was only interested in being an aunt to the baby.

However, Kristina is Alexis' daughter, too, and she is the baby's biological mother. I can't see Molly and T.J. asking Alexis to represent them, but I could see Kristina doing it if Molly and T.J. hired someone like Diane. I know that I should have some empathy for Kristina, but it's hard when so many people warned her against the surrogacy because she had no idea what she was getting herself into. It also annoys me how everyone walks on eggshells around Kristina because she's pregnant and quick to fly off the handle.

People treat Kristina as if she's made of spun glass, and the idea that the stress of an uncomfortable conversation or holding her accountable would send her instantly into a premature labor is laughable to me. Did I miss something, and it suddenly became a high-risk pregnancy? It was my impression that Kristina is hearty, hale, and enjoying an uneventful textbook pregnancy. She's not a delicate flower, and she certainly has no problem inserting herself into other people's business. She's also quick to engage if she feels even the slightest bit threatened or judged, like when Sam talked to her about testifying against Sonny.

I appreciate that Kristina was traumatized by seeing her dad turn into Tony Soprano, but Molly had a right to know because it wasn't something that could be kept secret. Dex is literally walking around with a black eye that's swollen shut, and Sonny is sporting bruised knuckles. On top of that, a lot of people know about the attack, so it was only a matter of time before someone spilled the beans to Molly. Even Blaze assumed that Kristina had told her sister, especially since Kristina is supposed to be carrying Molly's child.

You'd think that the surrogacy would bring the sisters closer together, but ever since Kristina felt the first flutter of the baby move, she's been slowly pushing Molly away and setting more and more boundaries. I find it odd that Kristina has frozen Molly out of prenatal checkups. I get why she wouldn't want T.J. there, since they aren't intimate, but Molly is her little sister. Shouldn't Kristina want Molly to hear the baby's heartbeat? More red flags.

As Friday's show drew to a close, shots rang out at the Corinthos Coffee warehouse. Valentin put his plan into motion to frame Sonny for Jason's murder, so two assassins were sent to take Jason out. Too bad for them, Jason's mob-senses activated, and he sensed impending danger. Jason managed to dive for cover and pull out his own trusty gun in the nick of time. Will Jason go down in a hail of bullets or live to see another day? My money is on the latter, since Steve Burton is on contract, but Sonny is likely to get a visit from Anna.

Will Anna see through the false trail that Valentin planted, or will she seize the opportunity to nail Sonny for attempted murder? She did tell Jason that she had passed on the assault with Dex because she wanted to charge Sonny with something that would earn him a lot more time behind bars. However, Anna isn't your average police commissioner. She's a retired superspy, and she won't be quick to jump to conclusions. She's already suspicious about Valentin's connections to Pikeman. That gives her the advantage, and it puts her a step ahead of him.

Even at his very worst, Sonny wouldn't be stupid enough to order a hit on Jason hours after issuing a threat. He also wouldn't contract the hit out; he'd use his own men, people he could trust, especially in his paranoid state when he trusted no one. Additionally, Sonny would never kill Jason at Corinthos Coffee. I don't care how reckless Sonny has been lately, he'd never be that sloppy.

Truth be told, I want this Pikeman nonsense over. It's become so convoluted, with way too many players, that I've lost interest. I still don't understand what Valentin gets out of all of this. Is it the money? Power? The opportunity to do evil? I guess we will have to stay tuned. Hopefully, this doesn't drag on much longer. With bullets flying, the end feels near.

Finally, I want to take a moment to talk about the absolutely tragic and senseless murder of our beloved Johnny Wactor (Brando Corbin) who died when he encountered thieves trying to steal a catalytic converter from his car. He didn't even try to stop them, but he was shot, anyway. It was awful, and my heart breaks for his family. I can't imagine the pain they are enduring right now, especially with the monsters still on the loose.

I loved Brando in large part because I adored Johnny. At first for purely superficial reasons -- Johnny was quite easy on the eyes -- but as time went on, I saw a genuine talent in him. In interviews and appearances, his kind and gentle nature was evident. He always struck me as someone who was both honorable and humble, and the outpouring of condolences and remembrances from those who knew him tells me that he was. Godspeed Johnny, you will be missed.

During Tuesday's episode, Spinelli, Sam, and Maxie were in Spinelli's closet office/computer room -- along with the cameraman, whose elbow kept making a guest appearance. I'd say it's time to give Spinelli an office upgrade.

Gregory's old-fashioned ringtone gutted me. My dad -- who passed in 2019 -- had one just like that.

I like the idea of Drew going into politics, but what exactly happened to all that rage he had? I'm not complaining, but it seems like sleeping with Nina cured him of that. Interesting.

Dante said that Sonny had shot him in the stomach, but that's incorrect. Sonny had pointed the gun at Dante's heart and fired. If you watch the scenes, the blood pooled on Dante's chest not his stomach.

Since the Daytime Emmys will be held later this week, that means it's time for Soap Central's mid-year year-in-review column. Tamilu will be here to take a look back at how she thinks General Hospital has done so far. And... we promise that it will be very interesting. If you tune in to other soaps, the three other soaps will also be taking part in the special columns. So, please be sure to check them all out.

You've really got to hand it to Valentin. When he puts a plan in place to eliminate an enemy, or in Sonny's case, remove an obstacle, it WORKS! Now all that's left is for Vlad to frame Ava for tampering with Sonny's meds, and then he can just sit back, and enjoy the show with the rest of us! -- Scrimmage

Regarding Dex's honor, I have been watching this show long enough to recognize the gray areas. The writers were very judicious about only showing him getting violent with people the audience knew deserved it on some level. So, his biggest lapse in judgment remains trusting Sonny despite evidence that he's no good...which most of PC is guilty of. When acting on his own, Dex has usually chosen to stand down in confrontations, and has been open to and helped people without pause. So, I see him as someone with an inherently good nature that hasn't had much guidance or support. -- Bianca Jackson

My heart breaks for Finn - he lost his father, he is a recovering addict, and now Portia will be watching him like a bird of prey watches its next kill. -- 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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