A sizzling summer of sin: General Hospital Two Scoops commentary for the week of July 8, 2024

Summer is heating up in Port Charles as several storylines take dramatic turns. Will Ava be able to thwart Sonny's custody threats, or is she sealing her fate? With Natalia outed as a homophobe, can Kristina and Blaze pick up the pieces, or is more trouble brewing around the corner as Kristina's due date nears? Grab some sunblock and a cool drink -- it's time to dive into this week's Two Scoops of sizzling summer sin.

Does anyone else get the feeling that Ava is on a collision course with a grisly end? These days, it seems like our resident bad girl has taken a scorched earth policy with everyone who has ever crossed her path. She's even testy with Trina, who has a heart of gold and is her most loyal -- and only remaining -- supporter. If Ava turns up dead, there's a conga line of potential suspects snaked out the door of Metro Court and through the streets of Port Charles who would happily dispatch Ava to hell if given half a chance.

Now, I love Maura West, so I really hope that Ava Jerome isn't going anywhere. Maura is one of the best things about GH, and she always brings her A game. But it hasn't escaped my notice that not only has all the progress she made over the past few years vanished in a matter of weeks, but also, how many times has it been mentioned that she murdered Connie Falconeri in cold blood despite years of silence on the matter?

For those who weren't around for that shocking murder mystery, Ava killed Connie to stop Connie from telling Sonny that Derek Wells was really back-from-the-dead-Julian Jerome. Connie managed to write the initials of her killer in blood before succumbing to the fatal shot, but everyone assumed that "AJ" stood for A.J. Quartermaine not Ava Jerome.

Eventually, A.J. managed to get a confession from Ava on tape, but Ava masterfully manipulated Sonny into shooting A.J. The recording bounced around, ended up in Paul Hornsby's hands, and became lost in the Bermuda Triangle of GH's subplots, so I have no idea where it is. But the reminders of Ava's murderous ways, her shattered friendships, her dastardly actions of late, and the mounting number of people who have motive to end her miserable existence feels a lot like portents of doom for Ava.

All that said, Sonny is no saint, either. I hate the way he uses Avery as a weapon to wield against Ava. It's disgusting. Ava has done nothing to warrant him taking her to court for soul custody, especially when he's a flipping mobster who goes around assaulting people. Leaking that audio was horrible, but it's nothing compared to loose cannon Sonny who recently got off scot-free -- legally speaking -- from beating Dex to a bloody pulp.

Is Sonny still improperly medicated? I honestly don't know. I remember the pharmacist called Valentin a few weeks back and told him that he was done helping Valentin because Sonny's "wife" had been asking questions. But if Sonny's refills are like my husband's online prescriptions, then Sonny might get a three-month supply at a time, which means he could still be taking the low dosage bipolar medication. Should Ava have told Sonny about his meds? Yup, but it's also Sonny's responsibility to talk to his doctor and get tested if there are signs that his meds aren't working properly. Both Jason and Carly have raised the possibility to Sonny, so it's up to him to follow up on it.

Unfortunately for Sonny, the gleam in Ava's eye when Scott mentioned that it would take something like Sonny killing someone in front of a witness (foreshadowing?) or having a public nervous breakdown to prevail in court over Sonny suggests that Sonny is, in fact, still receiving a low dosage of his medication. It also suggests that Ava is going to take steps to push Sonny's buttons. It's a dangerous game because Sonny is like a grenade without a pin.

It's for that reason that I hate that Ava is basically playing Russian Roulette with Avery's safety. Ava knows firsthand how fragile Sonny's mental health is at the moment, but she put her needs ahead of Avery's. I can't condone that, and it's why I feel like the writers are trying to make Ava so unlikeable that we won't care if someone gives her a little comeuppance for all her evil deeds.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind if both Sonny and Ava lose custody of Avery, and Michael and Willow step in. I couldn't believe Sonny actually sat down and talked to Natalia when she showed up to plead her case to him and point the finger at Ava. I also think it was very telling that Natalia sought out Sonny after the scandal broke rather than follow her daughter. I know where I would have gone, but then again, I wouldn't have been in that situation to start with.

Natalia playing the victim to Sonny and suggesting that Ava had set her up did not sit well with me at all. That is not at all how that transpired. Ava didn't have to lead Natalia down that path because Natalia was already there. Viewers also saw that Ava had inadvertently recorded Natalia, so there was no trickery. Sonny giving Natalia a pass because she was respectful and courteous to Kristina's face was also gross. To me, that just showed what a deceitful person Natalia truly is. I don't know about others, but I'd rather know where I stood with someone. That way, I can choose to avoid them.

I honestly don't understand the backlash against Kristina, either, and why she would be forced out of the center that not only bears her name, but that she also financed and built, all because she didn't out her girlfriend. Both Maxie and Kristina were right; it was Blaze's choice to make, and no one should force her to make her sexuality public if she wasn't ready. I have to say, this week was probably the first time in a very long time that I've actually liked Kristina. She's been wonderfully supportive with Blaze.

Unfortunately, I know that it's not going to last because Kristina is a walking red flag when it comes to the baby she's carrying. This surrogacy has been a disaster from the start. I know a surrogate, and she agreed that Kristina has pretty much done everything that agencies warn against. She has cut Molly and T.J. completely out of the pregnancy, and she is now drawing up a custody petition on the pretext of keeping the baby in the family. This is exactly why reputable agencies only select women in stable relationships with children who are no longer interested in expanding their own families.

The minute that Kristina started seeing the baby as hers, she should have made an appointment with a therapist instead of plotting to keep the baby if Molly and T.J. split up. I find it equally telling that Kristina hasn't discussed any of this with Molly. Perhaps if she had, she would know that Molly and T.J. kissed and made up because one spat is not going to be the end of their very loving and stable relationship.

The thing is, I don't think Kristina would get primary custody if she were to go up against T.J. in a custody battle. T.J. is a respected doctor who lives a very law-abiding life. His mother is the deputy mayor, his great-aunt is a social worker, and his uncle is the head of the wellness division for Aurora Media, which is owned by someone running for Congress. If he and Molly stay together, their long-term stable relationship will also be in his favor. Additionally, T.J. has been a victim of Sonny's world on a number of occasions.

By comparison, Kristina has been in several unhealthy relationships that never lasted beyond a year or two. She dove headfirst into a cult, despite numerous warnings from everyone around her, and she had to be rescued and deprogrammed to get her out from under Shiloh's control. Kristina's biggest problem is her father because people around Sonny are simply not safe (see T.J.), and Kristina is very close to her father. Yes, she started the youth center, but I seem to recall Sonny helping her with that.

Intentions matter, too. This pregnancy isn't the result of an affair or even an agreement between Kristina and T.J. to have a baby together. This pregnancy was a surrogacy arrangement, and even though there aren't any laws on the books in New York that would enforce the surrogacy contract/arrangement when it comes to custody of the baby, a judge might see Kristina as mercurial. Now, to be clear, that doesn't make Kristina unfit to be a parent, but it does make getting sole custody or even primary custody an uphill battle.

Admittedly, Kristina hasn't been a favorite of mine since Lexi Ainsworth was let go. It's not Kate Mansi; she's a fantastic actress. For me, it's the writing for Kristina. She's judgmental, demanding, quick to insert herself in other people's problems, and -- at times -- cruel. The old Kristina wasn't like that. She was misguided and prone to poor choices, but sweet. No one had to be on tenterhooks around her out of fear of her explosive temper.

I do give credit where it's due, and this week, Kristina shined, especially during her confrontation with Natalia when she called Natalia out on her feeble excuses. I love Eva LaRue, but I detest Natalia. Her justification for saying what she did to Ava rings hollow, and I applauded Alexis for pointing out that Natalia could try to open her mind. Sadly, I don't think Natalia is interested. Kristina was right; Natalia is a bigot. All she cares about is making her daughter famous, and it's time for Blaze to send her mama packing. If Natalia can't accept Blaze for who she is, then -- to quote Maxie -- Natalia can kick rocks.

Now, let's talk about Carly. Kudos to her for telling Josslyn the truth about the RICO charges, but I am so sick of hearing how a child needs its mother more than its father -- unless it's Sonny. A child needs both parents. Carly falling on her sword at this point serves no one because the die was cast when Jason made the boneheaded decision to protect Carly by cooperating with the FBI. Carly confessing is more about assuaging her guilt than helping Jason. He's home, and everyone knows he's alive. In a few weeks, he will have completed his mission because it's only a matter of time before he and Anna take Valentin down.

I hold a self-styled degree from the school of Law & Order, so I know that the FBI's agreement with Jason violated a good number of Jason's rights and a few laws to boot. Jason clearly never consulted his attorney about this deal because, if he had, Killer Miller would have told him that the FBI could charge Carly regardless. I also know that it's not a crime to announce that you are the head of a criminal organization, because it's just words. It's utterly astounding to me that Diane thinks there's only a 30% chance of prevailing in court if the FBI files RICO charges against Carly.

If all the FBI has is a recording from a wire -- most likely worn by Selina Wu -- then their case is a big ol' nothing burger. They need proof of RICO crimes, not an admission by someone who had every reason to show up to that meeting and bluff her way through in order to keep the threats against her family at bay. It seems unlikely that there is more evidence of Carly actually committing a crime because all that Spinelli found was that recording.

Finally, after a long absence, Jonathan Jackson is returning to General Hospital as Lucky Spencer. What could possibly bring him back if spending time with his son has never been enough to lure him to town for a visit? Will Lulu finally wake up from her coma? Will something happen to Nikolas in jail? I don't know, but when Lucky arrives, he will have a lot of explaining to do because he's been an absolute failure as a father.

I don't care if Aiden flew out every summer to spend a few weeks with his dad or if they had weekly video chats. That is not being a father. Lucky wasn't off fighting a war or serving his country, and to be clear, I don't recall anyone mentioning that Aiden had taken a trip to see his dad in years. Lucky left town because he was heartbroken about losing his wife of five minutes and wanted to lick his wounds. When he did return, it was briefly to bring Jake home to Liz, but Lucky didn't stay. His wanderlust took him off on another adventure in a different part of the world.

Lucky turned out to be a chip off the old Luke Spencer block. I don't have much respect for a parent that consistently puts their own needs ahead of their children. Being a parent means being present for them, but Lucky has never been that. I've always enjoyed Jonathan Jackson, so I'm really hoping that the writers address this massive character flaw of Lucky's, because I want to like Lucky again.

Random thoughts and observations

I find it amusing that people go to the Metro Court pool, dressed in their work clothes, and flop down on a lounge chair to sun themselves without so much as kicking off their shoes and/or socks. I would melt into a puddle. Of course, where I live, it's about 350 degrees in the shade with a humidity level of 200 percent, so if I hit the pool, I'm in a swimsuit and flipflops because I'm going to spend more time in the water than out of it.

I'm confuzzled. How was Adrian DeWitt hoofing up a few flights of stairs instead of taking the hotel's elevator to Ava's suite keeping it on the downlow? Aren't there security cameras everywhere, including the staircase? Ava has to know that all Sonny has to do is ask Carly to get his hands on the security footage of Adrian visiting Ava before and after the story broke. Heck, Carly would pull up a seat and help Sonny review the tapes.

Welcome back, Alexis. I really love her in lawyer mode. I'm so happy the writers corrected course on that, because Alexis was wasted as editor in chief of a newspaper.

And just like that, Drew's last name was changed to Quartermaine. Something tells me that Sam is not going to be happy that Scout not longer shares the same last name as her father.

Reader feedback

Really disliking Sam these days. Frankly, if anyone Jason loved or was someone loved by someone he loved was on the FBI's radar to arrest - Carly, Sonny, their kids, Sam, Danny, Scout, Liz, Jake, Cameron, Laura, Monica, Drew...basically anyone in Port Charles - he would have done the same thing. That's who Jason is -- he is the ultimate protector. -- Melissa H. Hanbey

...the performances of both Tracy and Violet were an impressive reminder that talent comes in all shapes, sizes, and generations. Every second they were onscreen seemed genuine. How great was it that Violet didn't panic when she found her father unconscious, and maybe even "dead?" How sincere did she seem when she asked Chase to teach her how to make nice meals for her Daddy? Jojo Love just blows my mind with her instinctive ability to deliver her lines so naturally, but with great nuance, as to suggest what she's REALLY thinking! I could name a half dozen ADULT actresses on this show who have not mastered that! -- Scrimmage

MAC IS BACK! It makes me so happy to see John J. York healthy and on my telly again. -- FleurdiLisa

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

READ MORE OF THIS WEEK'S TWO SCOOPS

The Bold and the Beautiful | Days of our Lives | The Young and the Restless

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