It’s hard to tell the sinners from the saints in Port Charles these days. Sonny killed his nemesis in cold blood, but can he get away with the crime? Will an armed and dangerous Kristina follow in her father’s footsteps when she crosses paths with Ava? Meanwhile, Anna is on a mission, but is it to save a life or reunite with her ex-lover? It’s Two Scoops of sin, Port Charles style.
I’m passionate about my soaps. I love the stories and probably get a little too emotionally invested in the characters, but I don’t care. I’ve been watching General Hospital for most of my life, and I hope to watch it for many more years to come. If you follow me on X (formerly Twitter) you will know that I pretty much only post about the show; usually things that have me gasping, sputtering, or scratching my head. Plenty had me doing all three—some at the same time—during the week.
Let’s start with the shots that rang out at the Quartermaine boathouse as Friday drew to a close and Sonny turned the tables on John, who had gone rogue in his quest to take Sonny down. It was not self-defense. It was cold-blooded murder. One shot to the chest and another presumably to the head as Sonny stood over John’s body. John was not holding so much as a paperclip or posing a physical threat when Sonny fired fatal shots, so Sonny is in quite the pickle unless Jason is hiding in the boathouse, ready to get rid of the body before anyone is the wiser.
That’s my theory on how it will play out because I don’t see Sonny going to jail for John’s murder. The writers spent a couple of weeks eviscerating John’s character by having him torment and torture Kristina, and pretty much brag that he had deadly plans for Ava, so this feels like soap justice. No one is going to miss John except perhaps his son. At least Stone is well cared for, and I’m sure Sonny will find a way to ensure that will continue.
I think the bigger problem is going to be Kristina, who slipped into her father’s penthouse, easily accessed his gun safe—what’s the point of having a code that everyone knows?—and left to take care of business. Was that business to take down John or Ava? Unknown, but what I do know is that no good ever comes of people driving around Port Charles in stormy weather.
There is more bad stuff to come. A lot more.
In the most shocking development of the year—if not recent GH history—news broke that Kelly Monaco will be leaving the show, and it was not her choice. Not only is she leaving, but Sam is also slated to be killed off. Rumor has it, Sam will be the one to save Lulu. In the land of soap operas, that’s a pretty final death. Yes, Jake came back from that thanks to a body switch—the details of which were always a little murky—but I don’t think that will be the case here.
Folks, I’m a Liz fan. She is my absolute favorite character and has been ever since she arrived in Port Charles as a spunky teen with a bad attitude and a nauseatingly perfect sister who could do no wrong. During the Jasam (Jason and Sam) vs. Liason (Liz and Jason) years, I was Team Liason all the way. I despised Sam with the burning passion of a thousand suns, and it infuriated me that Jason kept picking Sam, even after she threatened Liz and the boys in the park with armed goons. I’m not saying Liz was a saint or blameless, but I had my reasons for not liking Sam.
Kelly is a different story. There is no denying that she brought a lot to the table. She is as talented as she is beautiful, and her fans are fiercely devoted. The message board threads during the Jasam vs. Liason years were a hotbed of spirited discussions as fans squared off to argue their case of who Jason’s one true love was. The storylines were wild and written to stoke those fires as we each tuned in to root for our favorite pairing.
Kelly always rose to the occasion, giving us brilliant performances along the way. One of the few times that I set aside my hate for Sam was when Jason had to break the devastating news to her that her daughter was stillborn. It was gut-wrenching to watch, and to this day, I get teary-eyed when I catch those scenes. Kelly took Sam on an incredible journey, not just the unimaginable loss of a child, but also the tragic death of a beloved brother who had the kindest soul on the planet and the horrific fear of losing a child to cancer.
As with any good soap character, there were unforgettable twists, as well. Viewers were gobsmacked when it was revealed that Alexis was Sam’s mother and, later, that infamous Julian Jerome—freshly back from the dead—was Sam’s father. Then there was Danny, a baby that Sam had yearned for and went through hell to conceive. No sooner had her son been born than Heather Webber came along and switched little Danny with One Life to Live’s Téa Delgado’s dead baby boy. What are the odds? Pretty high when you’re on a soap opera.
It took Sam nearly a year to get her son back, but her joy was quickly snuffed out when Jason settled his family in at home and went to a meeting on the docks, where he was presumably killed. It was during this time, as Sam mourned her love, that we saw Sam come into her own, and Kelly was able to capture the sizzling chemistry that she had shared with Steve Burton with several other leading men. My favorite pairing of hers will always be with Billy Miller’s Jason Morgan/Drew Cain.
That’s when I started to like Sam. Really like her. It helped, too, that Sam grew as a person and was able to forge a friendship with Liz. I loved that they both put aside their differences and worked together to raise their sons as brothers. Through the years, they’ve been supportive of each other in other ways, which was equally nice to see.
I don’t understand the decision to let Kelly go, but the writing has been on the wall for a while. She’s been pretty much backburned for a few years, and she barely had any presence during Jason’s return except to tell him to keep away from Danny. It was out of character and a huge missed opportunity not to capitalize on the popularity of Jasam, since the writers didn’t seem inclined to pursue Liason either.
I have no doubt that other soaps will reach out to Kelly, perhaps even the much anticipated The Gates. Our loss is going to be their gain because Kelly is more than an actress. She’s a soap star.
As much as I hate the idea of Sam being killed off, I can’t help but wonder if Krissy’s reckless decision to grab her daddy’s gun will lead to another unintended tragedy. Would Alexis continue to make excuses and protect her daughter if Kristina’s impulsive actions claimed the life of one of Alexis’ daughters? It would be interesting to see the writers explore that, but I don’t think they will.
One of my favorite moments was Ric confronting Alexis about her blatant favoritism. Someone needed to say it, even if it was an absentee father. Unfortunately, Alexis proved both Ric and Molly’s point when she insisted that she needed to protect Kristina because Kristina is a poor, unfortunate soul who has no one to fight her battles for her. Utter nonsense. Kristina has a small army of people who constantly make excuses for her. It’s why Kristina is such a mess. We also saw during her exchange with John how quickly and easily she went from sobbing to spitting threats.
I’m over Kristina and her constant need for attention and validation, but I don’t blame her for falling out that window or for the baby dying. Those were the result of a clumsy accident. The reality is, people argue, especially on soaps. Did Ava put her hands on Kristina? Absolutely, but that is not what caused Kristina to trip. It was the luggage. If the bag hadn’t been behind Kristina, then Kristina wouldn’t have fallen.
Sometimes terrible things happen, and no one is to blame. That was the case here.
That said, Kristina does have some sins to atone for. She betrayed her sister. Kristina fell in love with the baby and secretly plotted to get sole custody. There’s no getting around that. Blaming Molly for picking up on the vibes that Kristina was putting out and acting accordingly does not mitigate Kristina’s deception. Kristina had not been acting in good faith for months.
I know that Kristina loves Molly, but she fully intended to pull the rug out from under her sister and T.J. She can’t hide behind excuses like blaming her decision on her concern that T.J. and Molly might break up. T.J. and Molly are still together. Ironically, it was Kristina’s relationship with Blaze that didn’t last.
In Africa, Lucky was on a one-man rescue mission to save a doctor named Isaiah from a man only known as “Sidwell.” In typical Spencer form, Lucky is a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants hero who takes great risks and tosses out sarcastic zingers like little Ninja stars. Am I happy to see Lucky back in action? Yes, but not for the reason that you might think. I haven’t really been a Lucky fan for a long time, even before he left. I’m looking forward to him facing the consequences for years of neglecting his son.
I’ve long viewed Lucky as a rather selfish and judgmental sort of fella. He was always quick to point to Elizabeth’s failings, but less inclined to do so to the man in the mirror. When Siobhan died, Lucky became so lost in his grief over her that he abandoned his son as well as two other boys that he claimed to love as if they were his own.
Lucky has his father Luke’s restlessness, but unlike Luke, Lucky made no attempt to be any kind of father once he left town. He took off for Ireland and embarked on a life of action, adventure, and danger. That was more important to Lucky than Cameron, Jake, and Aiden. I just can’t respect that, and I don’t buy that Aiden and Lucky had any kind of relationship—other than a cordial one—during the few brief visits when Aiden would go to see Lucky.
It's for that reason that I want Aiden to hold Lucky’s feet to the fire when Lucky returns to Port Charles. Jason gets a hard time—rightly so—for choosing Carly over Danny and Jake, but Lucky makes Jason look like Mike Brady. Lucky needs to be held accountable for being a complete deadbeat. Once I have that, I will be able to move forward. I don’t care how many handsome doctors he saves; Lucky is no hero in my eyes right now.
Lucky’s return is sure to bring the drama because trouble always follows him, and he has oodles of history with many of the people in town. It also appears as if big things will be happening in the Spencer family as Lulu’s storyline picks up speed. Based on what Dante said on Friday’s episode, Lulu will need a transplant within days not weeks.
The silliest plot twist of the week was Laura and Kevin’s cockamamie decision to track down Lucky rather than accepting Tracy’s offer to send in a small band of armed mercenaries to bring Lucky home. Laura didn’t want strangers extracting Lucky from his mission, so she nixed Tracy’s offer. It’s completely ludicrous to think that two grandparents who live a comfortable life in a safe little neighborhood with nannies and housekeepers are even remotely equipped to tackle the challenges of searching for someone in a war-torn country where I doubt they even speak the language.
Luckily, it’s a soap, so Laura and Kevin will succeed in their endeavor, and we will get a little hijinks and action in the coming episodes.
I was also a bit baffled by Laura’s decision to send Ace with Tracy. As far as I know, Tracy is a stranger to him, so waking up to Tracy and her nannies is sure to come as a shock to the little tyke. I would never do that to my child or grandchild. I would worry about how scared and confused he would be. Why wouldn’t Laura reach out to Trina if Elizabeth and the boys weren’t an option, or even the nanny who is a steady presence in his life? Why disrupt Ace’s life like that for just a few days away?
Moving on, Drew and Willow have stopped dancing around each other. Drew was in the middle of a campaign event when he got the news that his mentor McConkey had passed away. It wasn’t a complete shock, since McConkey had end-stage cancer, which was why he wanted Drew to run for his congressional seat. Naturally, Willow was concerned, so when Drew asked if they could go somewhere more private to talk, Willow readily agreed. Did they go to a coffee shop? A quiet bench in the park? Nope, Drew took Willow to his office. The same office where Drew has been known to enjoy a little afternoon delight a time or two with Nina.
It felt calculated to me. I don’t doubt that Drew was sad to hear about McConkey’s passing, but Drew skipping a family dinner because he’s sad seems a bit much. Willow insisting on skipping the same dinner to hold his hand while he grieves also seems excessive. Clearly, both are just looking for an excuse to spend time together, otherwise they would do the right thing and go home. I haven’t disliked a pairing this much since Sonny and Emily.
It's not the fact that Drew is old enough to be Willow’s father. May/December romances, especially among the rich and famous, tend to be more the rule rather than the exception. My issue is Drew’s relationship with Nina, and Willow’s vows to Michael. I realize that people fall out of love, especially on a soap, where the average relationship lasts about two years before trouble brews. Michael and Willow were never going to be the next Edward and Lila or even Alan and Monica, so divorce was inevitable.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s okay for Willow to stray with Drew. This thing between Drew and Willow is cheap and tawdry. Willow acts like Drew brought her back from the brink of death, but she leaves out the part that it was Aunt Liesl’s bone marrow that actually saved her. Drew’s actions were heroic, but he did not act alone. There were a lot of people who played pivotal roles in Greenland that made it possible for Drew to bring Liesl home in the nick of time.
I don’t see a deep spiritual connection between Drew and Willow. It’s all superficial, based on a fantasy that’s far removed from reality. A part of me still thinks it’s possible that Drew is playing a long game of revenge to punish both Michael and Nina, but even if I take Drew at face value, I think Nina was spot-on. Drew loves how Willow sees him.
Would Willow still see Drew as paragon of perfection if she knew that he’s been bumping uglies with her mother for months? Not if she has even a smidgen of self-respect and integrity. I think she does, so this relationship is doomed.
Drew and Willow aren’t the only duo who have a secret. It seems that Dante and Brook Lynn are hiding something, too.
My friend Vanessa asked me if it was possible that Gio is Dante and Brook Lynn’s long-lost son. Rewrites are not unheard of on soaps, but I dismissed the possibility because I was watching during that time, and there was never even a hint that Dante and Brook Lynn had sex—let alone a love child. I couldn’t imagine Dante having a son out there and letting him grow up without a father, especially given Dante’s own experience growing up fatherless.
Then there’s Brook Lynn. Brook Lynn has certainly been known to lie and keep secrets, but a son? No way. I haven’t seen anything but a sisterly fondness in Brook Lynn when she interacts with Gio. However, there’s no denying that Dante and Brook Lynn are hiding something. That exchange between the two in the kitchen before Sonny arrived screams that there’s something explosive in the past that they want to keep buried.
I can’t wait until it detonates. I love stuff like this, so I’m absolutely intrigued. I do believe that the woman who raised Gio until he was ten was his biological mother. That part seemed true enough, but the dad dying in combat while she was pregnant with Gio sounds like the plot of a star-crossed lovers romance novel. Does Brook Lynn know that Dante had a fling with a violinist? I bet money on it.
Finally, Anna is on a mission to find Valentin on the pretext of bringing Charlotte home just in case Charlotte is a match for Lulu. I don’t doubt that Anna hopes to help Lulu, but I’m also as certain as Robert that Anna wants Valentin back in Port Charles. If anyone can make that happen, it’s Jack Brennan, who is now settled into his office with a wall of television sets and a 20th century landline phone, complete with cord.
I need for Anna to pick a lane and stay in it. She wants to take down Sonny for his crimes but also seems to hope to find a way for Valentin to shed his Pikeman crimes so they can pick up where they left off when he was forced to skip town. Now that John is dead, Valentin’s legal woes might not be an issue. Could Brennan and Valentin frame John for everything? It would certainly be an option. But if Valentin gets to return, then Anna needs to find a way to reach an agreement with Sonny, so they can coexist.
The same goes for Laura.
Random thoughts and observations
Dear Mr. Valentini, Please give Adam Huss a contract already. It’s time for Nikolas to get out of the clinker and reclaim his throne on Spoon Island.
Just think how much time Laura and Kevin could have saved if they had bumped into Isaiah at the airport. I’m not sure how Isaiah heard about the brand-new WSB field station in Port Charles, but I’m just going to roll with it because he’s a doctor, and we have a hospital that recently lost one.
Why does it seem like Kristina forgot that Adela was also Molly’s grandmother?
Gosh, the way Ric looked at Liz when he saw her at the hospital. Pure chemistry.
Reader Feeback
I have always believed that Sonny was the weakest link in the Carson, Sason, Jarly relationships. Sonny frequently puts his own needs above Jason’s and he crap talks Carly and puts her down when he is not with her, but his behavior towards Carly, Jason, and Michael since NF has been next level. The gaslighting, the betrayal, the emotional abuse, and choosing Nina over all of them does not all get erased because they found out his meds were being tampered with. I need scene after scene of Sonny apologizing to everyone in his family for his disregard of their feelings, for betraying them, and accusing them of disloyalty when the only one disloyal was Sonny. – RAT
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Willow has fallen in love with Chase and then Michael, but we have never seen her experience desire or lust. This thing with Drew seems to be a new experience for her. She seems to have no idea how to cope with it. She is trying to avoid him, but those feelings, especially if they are new, are hard to ignore. – Ruthie
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I still think Cameron's Drew is an impostor. Ever since he returned, he has acted nothing like Billy's Drew. Their demeanor, their values, their ethics, their egos and even their taste in women are completely different. Before he "died," he wasn't the least bit interested in ELQ and only stepped in when there was an emergency. When he returned, he was suddenly urging Michael to team up with him to push Ned out and take over the company. NuDrew claims the only thing that got him through his ordeal was thinking about Scout and getting back to her. How many times have we seen them together since he returned? How many times has he even mentioned spending time with her? He was willing to abandon her again and go to prison for Carly, and that does not ring true of the man who lost Oscar and missed years of his daughter's life. – DaffySez
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Until next time,
Liz Masters
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