Mr. Quartermaine (hopes he) goes to Washington

Drew is running for Congress, but will his lusty pursuits derail his political ambitions? Is Sonny falling under Natalia's spell? Can Ava pull off her evil plot the second time around, or will it blow up in her face -- again? And what happens now that Valentin has slipped through John's fingers with a helping hand from Anna? It's Two Scoops of sex, lies, and scandals, Port Charles style.

I've been away on vacation with my daughter to visit family on the East Coast, so after each fun-filled day exploring all the wonderful sights and shops New England had to offer, we'd get back to my brother's house, have dinner, and put the TV on before breaking out the board games. Naturally, I asked my sister-in-law to DVR GH, so we'd watch that. One thing everyone seemed to agree on, including my mom, who rarely has an unkind word to say about anyone, is that Willow is a "messy boots." There's no denying that.

Willow is sweet as molasses pie and has a big heart, but she seems to continually stir up drama, has shady tendencies, and likes to play the martyr. With Chase, she kept secrets and ultimately married him under false pretenses, granting a man his dying wish by giving her precious hand in marriage. Too bad for Willow, Chase lived, and she was forced to fess up that she was actually in love with Michael. With Michael, she also kept secrets by hiding her late-stage cancer diagnosis until she was at death's door, even though she was pregnant with his child and Michael had a right to know. Willow insisted the reason was that she didn't want to worry Michael until she could have treatment in her second trimester, but we all know the real reason was that she assumed he would pressure her to terminate the pregnancy and start cancer treatment immediately.

Now, Willow has kissed her uncle-in-law -- and liked it. Why? She claims it was a moment of weakness brought on by a combination of fireworks in the sky and sparks in the living room. Willow was caught up in Drew's dreamy eyes (my words, not hers) and gave in to temptation. Had it ended there, it probably wouldn't have been a big deal -- a moment of insanity quickly forgotten. However, both she and Drew confessed that -- in a different time and under different circumstances -- they each would have pursued more because there was a definite attraction.

To be clear, I never expect marriages on soaps to last. Even Edward and Lila had their troubles. But this Willow and Drew dalliance feels a bit contrived. Yes, Willow was eternally grateful because Drew had risked life and limb to bring her Aunt Liesl back home in the nick of time to save Willow's life. There's no denying that Willow had a healthy dose of hero worship for Drew, but I always got a close familial vibe from these two, not romance. Perhaps it's because I see Drew more as a father figure to Willow, in part because of their age gap and because his identical twin brother played that very role for the first year of Michael's life. I believe Michael is older than Willow.

Drew is no better than Willow. His behavior is downright gross because he's not being honest. Would Willow be feeling guilty about that kiss if she knew that he was sleeping with her mother on the downlow? More than likely, Willow would slap him twice as hard as Nina did when Nina confronted Drew about that illicit kiss. I don't like who Drew has become since his stint in Pentonville, because he seems to lie way too easily. Before anyone comes at me with "It's a soap," I'm aware of that. The writers intend to invoke these strong feelings in viewers.

That is precisely why I have watched General Hospital for most of my life. It's a roller-coaster ride because I feel passionate about the characters and get invested in the storylines. However, I'm not someone who excuses poor behavior, even if it's my favorites. At their core, soaps are about people pushing boundaries and facing the consequences of their bad choices.

Right now, Willow and Drew are in the early stages of the former. Will they hit the sheets before all is said and done? It's a soap, so the odds are high that they will. What will Nina do if that happens? I'd like to believe that she would protect Willow, but Nina is never more dangerous than when she's scorned. Drew should tread with caution. Adrian is a wild card, too, because he's already shown himself to be someone quick to publish scandalous news for more clicks. A congressional candidate sleeping with a married woman and her mother would certainly drive up traffic to the Invader.

November should be interesting. That's when I see this house of cards collapsing.

Let's move on to Sonny, who is currently off his meds thanks to Ava's visit with the online pharmacist who conveniently has an office in town. Is that why Sonny didn't toss Natalia out on her fanny when he arrived home and found her waiting for him? I'm sorry, but Natalia is an awful human being who treats her 30-something daughter like a toddler. Why is anyone still talking to that woman?

I'm far more interested in what's going to happen now that Valentin has slipped through John's fingers. Despite Jason and Carly's celebratory beers on the footbridge, they are not free. It's clear that John wants to take down Sonny. Heck, John made it clear months ago that he would only protect Sonny until the head of Pikeman was exposed, but after that, it would be Sonny's turn to pay the piper. The question is, how far will Jason go to protect Carly? Would he turn against Sonny?

Sonny hasn't given Jason any reason to be loyal since Jason's return, but that hasn't stopped Jason from protecting Sonny. Jason and Sonny have been through a lot over the decades, so Jason sees Sonny as a brother more than a friend. Yet Jason's two-year absence to safeguard Carly came at a steep price. Both of Jason's children suffered as they mourned their father, and Jake felt betrayed by his father's choice. Jason continues to try to repair the damage, so he might be hesitant to lose the little ground he has gained, even for Sonny.

With Valentin in the wind, John is going to want Sonny's head on a platter if he can't have Valentin's, so John won't hesitate to use the evidence against Carly to force Jason's compliance. Going after Pikeman -- people unknown to Jason -- was far easier for Jason than going after someone who is beloved by many Jason cares about. At this point, Jason and Carly's only real hope is to buy some time until they can find a way to destroy the evidence against Carly. That will be the only way to truly neutralize the FBI.

I do believe that if Jason is honest with Sonny about everything, Sonny would forgive him and start working with him. However, Sonny is unmedicated, which means he will be prone to extreme moods shifts, impulsive behavior, and paranoia. Stress will only make things worse, so between a custody battle and the FBI breathing down his neck, Sonny will be a ticking time bomb.

I don't for a minute believe that John is actually concerned about Ava and Avery. He's an FBI agent, so he knows good and well that Ava was no innocent bystander or even an unwilling participant in the Jerome organization. She ran things for a time, and she has a very long and sordid history of ruthless crimes and dirty deeds. Ava might be a means to an end, but I'm certain John understands just how dangerous she is. If he doesn't, then he will deserve everything Ava does to him. That woman won't go down without a nasty fight.

I don't know if the writers are setting Ava up for a violent end -- I hope not, because I love Maura West -- but this scorched earth path she's on can't continue indefinitely. Every day, she gives her enemies more reasons to want to see her dead. And Ava has racked up a lot of enemies of late. At the top of the list is Sonny. Tick-tock.

While we are on the topic of violent ends, let's talk about Esme. I know this might sound a bit shocking -- no one was happier to see Esme perish than me -- but lately, I've been thinking about the possibilities if Esme should return. Listening to Trina open up about her unending grief over losing Spencer, and the justice that Trina was denied when Esme was spared from having to face the consequences of all the horrible things she did to Trina, I find myself wishing that Trina could get a little payback -- and a good storyline in the process. It's time.

As heartbreaking as Trina's talk with Josslyn about grief was, it was a very real moment, and it struck a chord. Anyone who has experienced grief knows exactly what Trina was feeling, but this is a soap, and on a soap, sometimes a person can get a second chance at righting a wrong. If anyone deserves that chance, it's Trina, because Esme didn't just stalk and kill Spencer, she drugged, tormented, and tried to destroy Trina's life by framing Trina for a crime that Trina didn't commit, all because she was jealous of Trina and of Spencer's love for Trina. Esme got a free pass on all of that because of her amnesia, and that never sat right with me.

I know Tabyana Ali filmed Empire Waist, a feature film about a group of teenage girls who contend with social bias though friendships and inclusive fashion design, but Tabyana deserves a storyline of her own on GH. Facing off against Esme and defeating the evil vixen by staying true to herself and outwitting Esme could be a very empowering story.

I want more for Trina than being Josslyn's sidekick and a possible romance with Gio. Gio is a nice kid, but Trina is light years ahead of him in maturity and wisdom. She needs an equal. I know that Spencer will return someday because it's a well-known fact that Cassadines are incredibly hard to kill, and he's far too important of a character to waste in the land of the dead. However, until he does return, I'd like to see Trina continue to grow and maybe have a fun relationship with a gallant young man.

Speaking of young men, we learned this week that Rocco is growing up and pretty much only knows his mother as a woman languishing in a coma and through stories his father has told. It's all so tragic and unnecessary. I don't understand why the writers haven't recast the role because Lulu is not only a legacy character with a rich history in her own right, but she also has many deep ties to the community, including children. I'm really hoping that things are about to change and that we saw Dante and Laura visiting Lulu on Friday because she will soon be opening her eyes.

The timing couldn't be more perfect with Jonathan Jackson returning as Lucky Spencer. What an exciting welcome home that would be. The prodigal son making a long-awaited return just in time to reunite with his beloved sister, who just emerged from a years-long coma. I want the writers to pull out all the stops and make the most of Lucky's return by giving us big moments and unexpected twists.

Finally, Anna made a bold move. After giving Jason the proof of Valentin's role in Pikeman and his crimes, she let Valentin know the FBI was hot on his trail. It's been 86 years since this storyline started, so I feel a bit disappointed by how it ended because there was no bang. There was barely a whimper.

After pleading with Anna to run away with him and Anna declining, Valentin made a full admission. He revealed that he'd been in contact with a consortium of evildoers who created Pikeman with stolen money from a defecting Russian general from the very beginning. The purpose of Pikeman was to funnel money and arms to entities around the world that they supported, even if those entities were at war with their government. Valentin would get paid handsomely for his work with Pikeman, and he eventually moved to the top of the food chain. None of this was surprising to me, because many of us had speculated as much.

Anna's actions weren't all that shocking, either, because I knew as soon as she started sleeping with Valentin again that she was not going to arrest him. She's the police commissioner, so she was wrong to let him go, but I'm happy that she did. The writers have positioned Valentin to pick up where his mother left off as someone who lurks in the wings and returns to stir up trouble and give the good people of Port Charles a foe to battle.

Most of the great villains of the past are dead; Helena, Stavros, and Victor Cassadine; Cesar Faison; Ryan Chamberlain; Olivia Jerome; and Alex Merrick, to name a few. There's still Heather Webber (I don't for a second believe she's cured), but she's currently locked up, and Jerry Jacks hasn't been seen in years. Valentin has the means, the resources, and the cunning to continue running Pikeman and remain ahead of the law, especially since it's clear that there are people in high places helping Pikeman.

What do you think? Will Valentin be back or is he gone for good?

I love how freely Carly talks about her crimes to a man sitting in a federal prison with cameras and guards all around him. Then again, this is Pentonville, where men and women are housed together, and most guards are on the take.

Remind me to never take small children to Metro Court's pool because the on-duty lifeguard steps away for kissing sessions with her boyfriend, leaving the pool boy in charge of things.

Line of the week goes to Tracy when she told Cody that her father slept "upside down with his arms crossed over his chest, hanging from a rafter." I cracked up. Oh, how I miss that rascally Edward.

It's hard for me to believe that the Executive Board of the shelter - people who were handpicked by Kristina - would turn against her so quickly, based on one tabloid article about her girlfriend's mother. It just doesn't make any sense! -- Scrimmage

Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed Maxie and Cody's scene when he told her about being Mac's son. I loved how Maxie reacted. I loved that she brought up her fake pregnancy. In a time when we are stuck watching Kristina act like she never knew sonny was violent, and this terrible Heather Webber-Laura storyline (that makes me see Lucy Coe, of all people, as a voice of reason in conversations), having to watch Sam act like Jason is the only dangerous parent that Danny has (when I remember very clearly how Sam came to town, and she just pulled dangerous stunt with FBI files), and Liz saying she went to Al-Anon for the first time (when I remember her going for lucky!), I appreciated being respected as a viewer with a memory for a change. -- RachelF

Last we heard Sonny had the recording of Ava confessing to killing Connie. He considered using it when Ava used Mike's Alzheimer's to get more access to Avery but decided it was better to just meet her halfway. I don't know if he's forgotten he has it or the writers have, but that always seemed like weak evidence to me. I mean it was digitally recovered by a guy who does work for mobsters, specifically one that has a contentious relationship with Ava. We all know it's real but seems like questionable evidence at a trial. -- Kathie

What are your thoughts about what's happening on General Hospital? 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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