General Hospital Recaps: The week of December 23, 2002 on GH

Jax and Brenda escaped. Sonny and Jason were arrested for Alcazar's murder. Carly warned Courtney to be careful about A.J. Ric and Elizabeth spent Christmas together.

Monday, December 23, 2002

by Irene

On the ledge of the hospital roof, Luke suddenly looked up and saw Summer. Luke implored Cameron to turn around and see Summer for himself, but Cameron insisted on keeping an eye on Luke. Cameron finally stood up, and as he did so, he glanced up at the roof and saw Summer in the flesh. Cameron got Luke back up on the roof and officially met Summer. However, when Cameron, Luke, and Summer returned to the hospital, the head of the psychiatric ward refused to release Luke, even though Cameron was prepared to sign Luke out.

However, when the police arrived to keep an eye on Luke, Luke managed to convince the head of the psychiatric ward that the longer Luke stuck around the hospital, the worse the publicity was going to get. Luke reported to Bobbie by phone that Summer had shown up and officially met Cameron, so Luke was free to go. Luke and Summer left together, and Summer took Luke home with her.

Summer reminded Luke that the only way for her to stay safe was to remain invisible, but as long as she was around Luke, there always seemed to be news reporters with cameras who showed up. Luke began to tell Summer about the way Luke's sister, Bobbie, had been able to leave the life of a hooker and become a nurse who helped save lives. As they talked, they were interrupted when one of Summer's regular customers arrived at the door. As Luke hid out in the next room, Summer told her regular that she was leaving the business.

Meanwhile, at Sonny's penthouse, Sonny angrily denounced Taggert for arresting him in his own home so close to the holidays, but Taggert reminded Sonny that it was just one of the hazards of Sonny's chosen "profession." As Michael clung to Sonny, Taggert tried to reassure Michael that he did not plan to hurt Sonny. When Sonny requested a few minutes to explain things to Michael, Taggert waited until Sonny had finished, and while Taggert was waiting, Taggert suddenly asked Courtney if Courtney knew where Jason was. Courtney pleaded ignorance. When Sonny had finished speaking to Michael, Taggert arrested Sonny, and they left for the Port Charles Police Station.

Meanwhile, at the darkened Quartermaine mansion, Mac quizzed Alexis, Skye, A.J., Alan, Edward, Ned, Monica, Reginald, and Lila about the whereabouts of Brenda and Jason. Mac was surprised to notice that Coleman was attending a Quartermaine gathering and even more surprised when Coleman announced that he was an invited guest. While Skye suggested that Jax and Brenda were halfway to Canada already, the rest of the Quartermaines denied knowing anything at all about Jax or Brenda. A.J. suggested that Mac should try looking for Jason, and Ned suggested that Mac should be arresting Sonny instead of looking for Brenda.

While the police searched the house, Skye hit the punch again, and A.J. tried to get her to stay away from the punchbowl and stay quiet, to no avail. Skye and A.J. were surprised when Ned quietly suggested that they keep their focus on their main goal, which was payback for Sonny, and when A.J. and Skye voiced their surprise, Ned announced that Ned would take Sonny down -- but in his own way and on his own terms.

In the meantime, Brenda and Jax ran through the grounds, but Jason suddenly appeared and hit Jax on the head, grabbed Brenda, and took off with her. Before Jax could recover, a police officer spotted Jax and began quizzing him about Brenda. But Jax insisted he had not seen either Jason or Brenda. When the police officer left, Jax headed back to the main house.

Mac soon grew exasperated when the Quartermaines fell to blaming each other for the police raid, and Edward threatened to call the mayor to report Mac's high-handedness. When Edward spotted Jax on the terrace, Edward distracted Mac by insisting that Mac should conduct a search, looking under the sofa and in the billiard room. Edward told Mac, "If you go up and check Lila's room, you will find that she is the criminal mastermind of this whole thing." Alan said, "Don't give him any ideas!"

Skye also spotted Jax on the terrace and went out to warn her husband again that Brenda was guilty of murdering Alcazar. Skye again begged Jax not to throw his life away for Brenda. Jax just walked away from Skye. Meanwhile, Alexis quietly called Felicia and learned that Ida had slipped away from Felicia and told Scott her entire story, including identifying Jason as the person who had paid her off and ordered her to leave town.

Later, Jason dragged a protesting Brenda to her cottage and demanded that she pack and get ready to leave immediately. But, when Jason entered the darkened cottage, Jax stepped out of the shadows and hit Jason over the head. Even though Brenda insisted they should make sure Jason was okay and maybe even take him to the hospital, Jax refused and insisted that they tie Jason up and leave him there.

Meanwhile, back at the Quartermaine mansion, Mac reminded all of the assembled guests that if they were all covering for Brenda and Jason, they were guilty of being accomplices. The Quartermaines remained mum -- however, when Mac got ready to leave, A.J. offered to walk Mac to the door.

Later, as A.J. and Skye listened to the rest of the family make excuses for Brenda and Jason, they wondered if the family would ever cover for one of them if either of them needed it. Alan offered to take Skye home, but when Skye refused, Alan implored Coleman to drive her home. Coleman tried to get Skye to leave, but Skye suddenly erupted into a drunken tirade, lecturing the entire family on their failures at family togetherness, then Skye collapsed, sobbing, into A.J.'s arms. A.J. finally hustled his weeping sister out onto the terrace and away from the punchbowl.

At the penthouse, Carly informed Courtney that they needed to go down to the police station to bail Sonny and Jason out of jail. When Courtney questioned the need for both of them to go do that and reminded Carly that they would be leaving Michael alone when they went, Carly informed Courtney that, as long as the man a woman loved often landed in jail, she needed to learn the ropes of the system so she could help. Courtney and Carly finally left for the police station. At the same time, Jason regained consciousness in the darkened cottage and worked at freeing himself, but by the time Jason was free, the police had arrived with spotlights glaring and sirens blaring. They announced that the cottage was surrounded and that Jason needed to surrender.

Meanwhile, back at the police station, Alexis met with Felicia and learned that Ida was in protective custody, after having identified Jason as the man who had paid her off and ordered her to leave town. When Carly arrived, she instantly assumed that Alexis was there to try to weasel her way back into Sonny's life by offering to represent Sonny -- but Alexis coldly informed Carly that Alexis deeply regretted everything she had ever done to keep Sonny out of jail before and was not likely to make any attempts to spring her former client. When Sonny saw Alexis, he asked Alexis if she was the one who was responsible for his arrest. Alexis reminded Sonny that she had informed him about the new witness and warned him that she would have to report it.

Sonny asked, "You want to trace the bribe? You check Jax's bank account. Unless -- you are covering for him." Alexis said, "It would serve you right if I were."

Meanwhile, on the Quartermaine terrace, A.J. tried to remind Skye that she was also a suspect in Alcazar's murder, and she just needed to quit talking -- whether she was drinking or not, she just needed to quit talking. A.J. reminded Skye that, if the police were after Jason and Brenda, it had to be because the police believed the witness that they'd paid off.

Coleman overheard A.J. and Skye's conversation and interrupted, reminding the scheming siblings that it was Coleman who had found the witness and Coleman who had paid her to identify Brenda and Jason. Skye reminded her co-conspirators that she was convinced that it was Brenda who had killed Alcazar, and their plan was merely helping the police along. Coleman reminded Skye and A.J. that they were all partners, and they needed Coloman more than ever.

As Brenda and Jax arrived aboard Jax's jet and made plans to fly to the Caribbean, Jason arrived at the Port Charles Police Station, under arrest, and was angry at Carly for dragging Courtney down to the station with her. Then Courtney raged at Taggert that the arrests were not fair.

Courtney said, "It is not fair." Taggert replied, "Fair? You want to know what is not fair, Ms. Matthews? Try three failed indictments against your brother for RICO violations. Try years of failed investigations because he made a deal with the FBI, and they sealed his records. Try people that have disappeared or met with accidents or ended up dead in an alley, courtesy of Mr. Morgan. The law is fair. And it has finally come back to bite both of you!"

Sonny protested that he and Jason were innocent, and Taggert agreed that Taggert was beginning to believe that Brenda really had killed Alcazar.

Tuesday, December 24, 2002

by Celeste Brodeur

Edward groused about having to attend the annual Christmas party in the children's ward at General Hospital. Anxious to have his daddy back home, Michael penned another letter to Santa with a last-minute Christmas wish. Meanwhile, at the precinct house, Marcus gleefully informed Sonny and Jason that they'd remain guests of the city for the holiday.

Jax flew Brenda to a Caribbean island, where he reminded her they had some decisions to make about their future. Monica coerced her irascible father-in-law into playing Santa Claus for the kids. A drunken Skye passed out on a park bench as a light snow began to fall. Through tears of joy, Alexis thanked Cameron for persuading the NICU staff to let her hold her infant daughter for the very first time.

Courtney talked a reluctant Mike into visiting his son at the police station on Christmas Eve. Georgie grimaced when Felicia forced her to play elf for the kids' party, but her mood lightened considerably after Lucas paid her a compliment. Brenda was miffed to realize that Jax had doubts about her innocence.

Coleman found Skye half frozen in the park and rushed her to the ER. In keeping with long hospital tradition, Alan read the story of the first Christmas to the assembled guests. Ric called in a favor to get Sonny and Jason released but received little gratitude in return. Brenda and Jax theorized that Skye had paid Ida off to lie.

Wednesday, December >25, 2002

by Soap Central

Due to the Christmas holiday, General Hospital did not air this day. The show resumed Thursday, December 26, where Tuesday's show concluded.

Thursday, December 26, 2002

by Mary N.

Skye was released from General Hospital, despite Alan's wishes for her to stay at GH a little longer. Coleman went over and took her with him after telling Alan that he was making a big deal about what had happened to her when she was just fine. Coleman took her back to his office at Jake's bar. He told her that if he'd killed Alcazar and had to hear about it on the news all the time, he might resort to the bottle like she had. She asked him to explain what he meant by that and why he thought she'd killed Alcazar. Coleman told her that he'd overheard her talking in her sleep at GH on Christmas Eve.

Skye told Coleman that she didn't remember killing anyone and that when she'd woken up, she'd checked the hotel suite and hadn't heard anything, so she'd left the room. She asked him if he planned to blackmail her based on what she'd supposedly confessed to at GH. Coleman told her he had no intention of blackmailing her, since he had gone to all that trouble with the witness Ida to frame Brenda. Skye looked at him in surprise.

Meanwhile, Jax and Brenda enjoyed themselves on a beach in a warm climate. Their fun was interrupted when a magistrate showed up with documents that Jax had requested a judge to expedite for them. He told Jax he had some divorce papers for him to sign and annulment papers for her to sign to end her marriage to Jason quickly. Brenda looked at the papers and almost signed them but then changed her mind and told Jax she couldn't sign them. Jax looked up from signing his papers and looked at her quizzically.

Felicia showed up at Sonny's penthouse to tell him about her theories on the witness Ida. She told him she had a problem with Ida's testimony that Jason had paid her off and threatened her and that Brenda had killed Alcazar. She asked him if there was anyone who hated Jason enough to set him up. Sonny suggested that A.J. did and was capable of paying off a witness to set up Jason and that he would help Skye, as well, to have Brenda implicated so she could also get her revenge. Felicia believed the theory made sense and asked Sonny if he'd had Jason threaten Ida.

Sonny told Felicia that he had no reason to want any harm to befall Ida, since it would not help him to lose a witness that he could have help him later. Felicia agreed to find out where the police were hiding Ida. She agreed to meet with him and Jason later on the docks. She went to Kelly's and persuaded Mac to give her the address of where Ida was hiding under police protection. Mac didn't believe Brenda had killed anyone and didn't want her to go to prison, so he agreed to help Felicia, but he said he wouldn't mind if Jason and Sonny went down for Alcazar's murder, since it would make up for all the crimes they had committed in the past that they had gotten away with.

Jason tried to leave Courtney's new place while she was sleeping, but she woke up. She got upset about him leaving without saying goodbye, since she worried that the cops would arrest him and put him away, and she wouldn't know it. Jason agreed to let her know and say goodbye each time he had to go somewhere. She suggested that they run off together and hide out somewhere. Jason turned down that idea and told her he had to meet with Sonny soon.

A.J. went looking for Courtney at Kelly's. Liz was annoyed with his behavior and assured him she would give Courtney a message about her landlord needing her new keys to get into her apartment because of a burst pipe. Carly noticed A.J. hanging around Kelly's and annoying Liz. She asked him what he wanted and asked him to leave Kelly's and not to return. She informed him that Courtney was staying with them at the penthouse and wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

A.J. told Carly that her family would not be together for long, since Jason and Sonny would both be going to prison soon. Carly told him that he would not get Michael either way, since Sonny was Michael's only real father and that A.J. was just some scary guy to Michael. She threatened A.J. with a coffee pot to get him to leave. Ric looked on with amusement. Carly and Ric discussed the hidden section of the basement at Kelly's and wondered what it was down there that was walled off. Ric wondered if there were dead bodies hidden down there.

Courtney found out later that Carly had done her a favor by standing up to A.J. She went to visit Carly. Carly went home and accidentally overheard Sonny fill Jason in on what Felicia had told him about her theories on who had set Jason and Brenda up. Jason agreed that he wouldn't be surprised that A.J. would set him up as revenge and help Skye get revenge as well. Carly got upset when she realized that A.J. was possibly setting up Jason. She asked Sonny to get A.J., put him back in a meat locker, and get him to confess to setting Jason and Brenda up.

Sonny told Carly to butt out and keep what she knew to herself for a change. He told her that they had it handled and would get A.J. sooner or later. Courtney stopped to visit and thank Carly for helping with A.J. Carly told her that A.J. would stop at nothing to destroy her family and try to get Michael, including using Courtney to do it. Carly let it slip that A.J. was responsible for setting up Jason and Brenda by paying that witness to lie about Jason threatening her and paying her off and seeing Brenda kill Alcazar.

Courtney started to blame herself, thinking she'd caused A.J. to get revenge on Jason. She told Carly that she would speak to A.J. and get him to confess to setting up Jason. At the docks, Felicia met with Jason and Sonny. She told them she would give them the address to where Ida was hiding if they promised that no harm would be done to her and said that she would convince Ida to run away from the police. Then, they could hopefully follow her to the person who had paid her off. Sonny assured her that they were just going to have one of their men follow Ida and that Jason would follow A.J. to see what he did, videotape, and take pictures of Ida if she met with A.J.

Felicia went to the hideout and took magazines and puzzles to occupy Ida's time as a pretext to meeting with her and setting up the trap. Ida asked about whether they'd caught Brenda yet. Felicia reported they hadn't and that she'd found out that Sonny wanted her dead. She reported that one of the cops on duty at that moment or on the second shift worked for Sonny and that she needed to run away as soon as Felicia could help distract the police guards. Ida believed her and agreed to run as soon as she could -- and find a way to leave the country if she could.

Luke tried to get Summer to let him help her get a decent job. Summer didn't want his help but decided to sign up for some college classes. She was reading a brochure when Lucky entered the room and suggested that she not take a particular class with some professor who he told her was a "jerk." Summer looked up at Lucky with a curious look on her face.

Friday, December 27, 2002

by Irene

As Summer signed up for classes at Port Charles University, she ran into Lucky. When they struck up a conversation, Summer told Lucky that her name was Laura. When Summer mentioned that her last job had involved a lot of "pretending," Lucky suggested that she sign up for some drama classes.

In Coleman's office, after Skye admitted to Coleman that she did not really remember whether or not she had killed Alcazar, Skye asked Coleman why he was keeping mum about the blabbing she had done when she had been delirious. Coleman admitted to Skye that he wanted Courtney and that helping Skye and A.J. get rid of Jason would eventually work to Coleman's benefit. When Skye worried about the security of their "witness," Coleman reassured Skye that Ida was a pro who would see the matter through, no matter what.

Meanwhile, Felicia reported to Sonny that she'd frightened Ida enough by telling the "witness" that Sonny was planning to bump Ida off before Ida could testify against Brenda that the woman had taken Felicia's advice to run away. Felicia admitted she had helped decoy the police guards so Ida could get away. Sonny affirmed his belief that Ida would head straight to A.J. and that Jason was watching A.J. with a camera to get proof of Ida meeting A.J.

As Jason skulked in the bushes outside and watched the Quartermaine mansion with a camera, Ned received a call from Faith Roscoe, who invited Ned to meet her in her hotel room later. Afterward, A.J. wandered in and asked Ned what had ever happened to Ned's plan to take Sonny down. Ned replied that if A.J. 's plan to take Sonny down did not work, Ned had another plan already in action. A.J. pointed out to Ned that the longer Jax succeeded in keeping Brenda out of the country and on the run, the better the chance would be that only Jason and Sonny would be prosecuted as Brenda's accomplices in Alcazar's death.

Meanwhile, at the penthouse, when Courtney learned that Sonny and Jason suspected that A.J. had bribed the new witness to the Alcazar witness to lie to implicate Brenda and Jason, Courtney insisted to Carly that Courtney should try to help in some way, but Carly advised Courtney to stay out of Sonny's plan to prove that A.J. was connected to Ida.

At the same time, in their tropical hideaway, Jax was stunned when Brenda told him that she could not annul her marriage to Jason just yet. When the lawyer with the annulment papers left, Jax asked Brenda if it was about Sonny -- and Brenda agreed that it was about Sonny. When Jax asked how it was about Sonny, Brenda reminded Jax that even Jax knew that Scott wanted to pin Alcazar's murder on Sonny and that Brenda needed to stay married to Jason because Jason had helped Brenda escape from the Port Charles Hotel on the night that Alcazar had been murdered. The marriage protected both Brenda and Jason so they could never be forced to testify against each other. Sonny became involved because he had a family and should not have to spend time in jail for a crime he had not committed.

On the docks, as Ric and Carly looked for a spot for her new club, Carly was too intrigued by the question of the hidden room beneath Kelly's. Later, Ric tried to convince Carly that Ric could restructure Sonny's empire in such a way that Sonny could get out of the mob business. Carly warned Ric not to get too interested in Sonny's business. Meanwhile, Sonny received a call at the penthouse from Johnnie, alerting the mob boss that Johnnie had lost Ida. Sonny decided that, since "your average senior citizen" could not give Johnnie the slip, Ida had had previous experience with being tailed.

Sonny called Jason to let Jason know that Ida had ditched Johnnie but could resurface at the Quartermaine mansion to see A.J. Meanwhile, A.J. left a message for Skye, letting his sister know that A.J. knew how upset Skye had been about Jax and Brenda running away to a tropical paradise together. A.J. asked Skye to call. When A.J. turned around, he realized that Courtney had suddenly arrived. A.J. was suspicious about Courtney's visit. Courtney announced to A.J. that she was willing to give A.J. a chance to prove he truly loved her.

Meanwhile, Brenda dreamed that Taggert discovered Brenda and arrested her. When Jax tried to save Brenda, Taggert shot. However, Jax woke her up with news of a special romantic evening he had planned.

Back at the Quartermaine mansion, Courtney appealed to A.J. to urge Skye to withdraw her story about seeing Brenda push Alcazar over the arms dealer's balcony railing. Courtney pointed out that everyone could see that Skye was turning into a wreck. Courtney believed that Skye was sticking to her story about witnessing Brenda push Alcazar only because A.J. was urging Skye to stick to her story -- and all because A.J. was jealous of Jason.

When A.J. mentioned the new eyewitness who backed up Skye's story, Courtney suggested that A.J. could bribe Ida to change her story and just say that she had stepped forward because she wanted to be in the midst of all of that police activity and publicity. A.J. was shocked that Courtney would ask A.J. to bribe a witness. A.J. suggested that he would be interested in a trade -- A.J. informed his estranged wife that, if Courtney returned to A.J. and never saw Jason again, A.J. would try to find a way to clear Jason in Alcazar's murder.

When Carly and Ric returned to the penthouse, Ric mentioned that he believed Sonny could get out of the mob by restructuring some of his holdings, and Sonny bluntly ordered Ric to mind his own business. Sonny then ordered Ric to leave. After Ric left, Sonny blasted Carly for talking to Ric about Sonny's business -- and about Carly's desire for Sonny to get out of the mob. Then Sonny explained to his puzzled wife that Sonny believed that it appeared Ric was trying to work on Carly's sympathies by creating the impression that it could be possible for Sonny to escape his mob connections. Sonny asked Carly if she still harbored hope that Sonny would be able to leave the mob one day.

At the same time, Ned met Faith, and they began to make plans to get rid of Sonny. However, they suddenly became passionate and hit the sheets instead.

Meanwhile, in the Caribbean, while Brenda waited for Jax to return with the special romantic surprise that Jax had planned, Brenda called Taggert at the Port Charles Police Station and asked Taggert how the investigation was going. When Taggert told Brenda that Jason and Sonny had been arrested for conspiracy, Brenda suddenly hung up. When Taggert's fellow officer informed Taggert that Brenda had hung up too soon for the call to be traced, Taggert expressed his confidence that Brenda had heard enough to head back to Port Charles to clear Sonny.

Summer and Luke met on the docks, and Summer announced that she had been to the university and met someone who had treated her like a real person. When Luke learned that Summer planned to take a drama class because she had done a lot of pretending in her previous "job," Luke offered to help Summer go back to school by giving Summer an "acting" job -- "acting" as if she were Laura to fulfill Luke's fantasy of his absent wife.

Back at the Quartermaine mansion, Courtney reminded A.J. that Jason had covered for A.J. when A.J. had burned down the Oasis Club, but A.J. insisted that the person Jason had covered for was Courtney -- not A.J. A.J. accused Courtney of beginning to "want" Jason the first moment she'd laid eyes on him. When Courtney insisted that A.J. was wrong, A.J. told Courtney that if she truly wanted A.J. to help clear Jason, it would be necessary for Courtney to be honest with A.J. about her feelings for Jason.

When Courtney reminded A.J. that A.J. had lied to Courtney while he had been stalking her, A.J. reminded Courtney that she had just asked A.J. to lie to get Jason off the hook. A.J. informed Courtney that, to get A.J. 's help, Courtney would have to put on a convincing act that there was a true reconciliation going on. All the while, Jason was watching the entire confrontation through the telephoto lens of his camera.

At the same time, Ida arrived at Coleman's office and told Coleman that Felicia had told Ida that Sonny was planning to murder her before Ida got a chance to testify against Brenda. Before Coleman could tell Ida that he believed Felicia had told Ida a story, Skye suddenly walked in, and Ida said, "You! It was you!"

When Jax returned to his hotel suite with special flowers for Brenda, he found she was gone. Brenda was on a plane, en route to Port Charles.