Sam McCall is a force of nature. Not even a car bomb can take her out. Maybe she's got some of that Charlie Sheen 'tiger blood' running through her veins. Or maybe she's just lucky that she happened to be blown up in a limo that was bomb-proofed for Sonny Corinthos. And by lucky, I mean finally getting a storyline that isn't about her leaving the room or working on some off-screen case with Spinelli.
Sam McCall is a force of nature. Not even a car bomb can take her out. Maybe she's got some of that Charlie Sheen "tiger blood" running through her veins. Or maybe she's just lucky that she happened to be blown up in a limo that was bomb-proofed for Sonny Corinthos. And by lucky, I mean finally getting a storyline that isn't about her leaving the room or working on some off-screen case with Spinelli.
Frankly, I've been bored with Sam for quite some time. I thought she was way more interesting as a con woman. But this mysterious fainting, hearing loss, and bonding with Jason and her family has me enjoying her character once again. I don't read spoilers, but I'm a longtime soap viewer, and I know that female fainting usually equals pregnancy. Despite Dr. Drake's defense of GH lab accuracy, we all know that place is wrong more than it's right, and if Aiden's paternity test was incorrect, the lab certainly could have bungled Sam's pregnancy test.
So, is Sam pregnant, or is she about to discover that she has some grisly illness? I'm torn as to which way I want this to go. She keeps vehemently declaring her life is not set up for children, nor is Jason's. However, she continues to get weepy when discussing her inability to have children. So, I'm not sure Sam even knows what she wants. Part of me wants these two to have a child, if for no other reason than to get Jason out of the mob once and for all. But if he didn't leave the no-necks behind to help raise Jake, then I don't see a new baby impelling him to walk away from organized crime either.
I wouldn't mind seeing Sam face a life-threatening illness. The Davis clan has had a tough few years, between Kristina's abuse, Alexis' lung cancer, and the bus crash, but watching them circle the wagons around Sam has been good television. Plus, Steve Burton is fantastic with heavy drama, as we've seen in his scenes regarding Michael's rape. Watching him agonize over Sam's health would be must-see TV. And I would love it if this opened the door for Sam's biological father to come to town. Alexis in a front-burner storyline is always a good thing.
I have to admit, I was never really a Jason and Sam fan. She lost me years ago when she slept with Ric, and Jason always seemed much more invested in Liz or Robin or whatever Carly, Sonny, or Brenda drama was going on at the time. Sam always seemed to come second for him. But this week finally showed me how much Jason truly loves her. As he sat stone cold in the hospital, waiting for news on Sam's condition, he was torture personified. His face and body language showed shock, fear, and pure agony.
To avoid any future problems, perhaps Sam should change her hair color. Port Chuck is not the place for petite brunettes who look like Brenda Barrett. Inevitably, they end up in bed with Sonny Corinthos and either lose their lives, careers, or self-respect. Just ask Lily, Hannah, or Claire. Whatever it is that seems to keep saving Sam from exploding ships and cars and other life-threatening situations, we can all agree that Sam is fierce. Charlie Sheen has nothing on her.
In other musings:
I love Shawn Butler. And I'm not just talking about his "guns." He's gorgeous, but more than that, he seems like a multi-layered character with an interesting war past. I'm thrilled that he's helping Jason and not going to be a one-note villain. This guy has game. Please, GH, give him a story as rock-solid as his biceps.
Patrick, if you want to get your wife back in your bed, you should talk about the Stone Cates wing and grant writing. Seriously, when Terrell was pitching his ideas to gullible Robin, I felt like I was watching some sort of foreplay unfold. I felt dirty! I don't think I've seen Robin that excited since she was visiting a hotel room of a stranger, when she was suffering from postpartum depression.
If loving Ethan and Kristina is wrong, then I don't wanna be right. Yes, I know he's married. Yes, I know he looks much older than she does. I can't help it. I love them together. I'm a bad, bad, girl.
Who else, besides Theo, thinks Suzanne took Brenda's baby? Yep, me too. That lady knows more secrets than Charlie Sheen's publicist.
Like all of you, I love Tamilu's Two Scoops column. Although, we sometimes tend to like different characters and plot outcomes. Tamilu said recently that she cried through the Sonny/Brenda wedding. I almost cried, too, for the simple fact that this wedding took place. When Brenda tearfully told Sonny she wasn't good enough for him, I almost choked on my fat-free cookie. Not good enough for Sonny? Was she serious? This guy -- as much as I love him -- plants car bombs, shoots cops, and kidnaps innocent people and beats them. (Sorry Johnny and AJ).
Sure, Brenda, you're not good enough for him? I think all those years of starving herself for her modeling career must have affected her brain cells. (Full disclosure here: I used to love Sonny and Brenda in the '90s, but this time around, they just didn't grab me. Sonny has too many ex-wives and kids, with other women, and too much violent history for me to buy back into him being "the one" for Brenda. Time has changed his character, and it's like Brenda is still stuck in some '90s time warp, where Sonny is still her hero and big hair is all the rage.) And I did cry at the wedding, when I saw that no one ate that beautiful mocha crème wedding cake. It was almost untouched. Seriously, does no one like cake in Port Charles?
Don't get me wrong. I think Sonny Corinthos provides plenty of entertainment, whether he's plotting someone's demise or hurling a Scotch glass to show us how angry and depressed he is. He's the bad guy we all root for because we can't resist his dimples and $1,000 suits. But, he has become such a hypocrite, since having children. He goes on ad nauseam about wanting to protect his children from his lifestyle, yet he tied up Shawn Butler and was ready to torture him in the house where his children live. Thankfully, Michael and Morgan didn't see too much. But, yep, this is who your daddy is, boys -- embrace it!
Speaking of embracing mob violence, I don't like the direction Michael is headed. When he went after the Balkan's guy this week and pulled that gun, I was cringing. Michael, crime doesn't pay. Just ask Lindsay Lohan. Michael is teetering close to the edge of wanting to follow in his father and Jason's footsteps. I hope Dante, Edward, Carly, or Jax can pull Michael back, before he ends up back in prison.
James Franco may have received some bad reviews for the Oscars last weekend, but I'm loving his Franco villain on GH. "It's me again. Gosh, what a weekend," he quipped to Jason on the phone, as Jason hung his head in disgust. Brilliant! I'm intrigued by what "present" Franco is bringing back to Port Charles? Could it be he has Brenda's "dead" baby? That would be a cool twist. Even cooler would be if that baby actually belonged to someone in Port Charles, to further tie Brenda to the canvas. Jax, Jason, Sonny, any takers?
One of my favorite scenes this week was at the Quartermaines' after the bombing, between Luke, my beloved Edward, and Tracy. Thank you, GH writers, for showcasing this trio. Poor Edward seemed so fragile and worried about Jason, Brenda, and Sam. I was breaking down right along with Tracy, when she sadly said that she forgets how old her father really is, but that day she saw it. Edward did look especially dejected and frail. He broke my heart. These actors are capable of so much more than comic relief, and it's about time we saw that again.
And once again, I have to respectfully disagree with Tamilu, regarding Luke and Tracy and Laura. Whoever came up with the idea to marry Luke into the Q clan deserves a big raise. It was brilliant. He pops with Tracy. As much as I loved Laura in her day, I have no desire for her to come back and break up Luke's marriage. I prefer Luke with Tracy, and I don't think they're just comic relief. Tony Geary and Jane Elliot have serious acting chops. Tying Luke to the Quartermaines is sheer brilliance. Now if we could only get Ned back home and recast Dillon, to flirt with Lulu, I would be even happier.
I can't decide if I like Nik and Brook. Yes, he's been floundering ever since Emily departed. He and Liz had major chemistry, but there seems to be too much history between Liz and Lucky for a Liz/Nik pairing to ever truly be a go. There's no question that Nik needs some lovin', but Brooke seems to be an odd fit for the prince. I just can't decide if it's a good odd or a bad odd.
-Nikolas' couch sees more action than the upstairs rooms at Jake's. He and Liz did the deed there several times, and he and Brook Lynn were about two minutes away from a happy ending, before he put on the brakes. I hope poor Alfred steam cleans that thing or that Nikolas can learn to control his passion, until he reaches the bedroom.
If you caught The Mentalist on CBS recently, you saw ex-Michael, Drew Garrett. I forgot how fantastic of an actor that kid is. I never thought he could be replaced on GH or that another actor could come close to playing his nuances. But while I do miss what Garrett brought to the table, I am constantly amazed at Chad Duell's portrayal of Michael. He seems so much more mature and even resembles Jason. Duell has really pushed Michael to a whole new level. I love him just as much!
I have to give a huge shout-out to the GH writers this week. You nailed it. As I am spoiler free, I was absolutely shocked to see Sam pulled from the fiery limo, instead of Brenda. It was brilliant! As some of you know, I previously wrote the Two Scoops column here for As the World Turns, and one of my chronic complaints was that the writers continually ignored plot history that would have been integral to good storytelling. I was impressed that GH tapped into the limo-bombing history and that Johnny mentioned his history with irrational Sonny, down to the specifics of the kidnapping, the padded cell, and the daily beatings. Then, Kristina flipped out at the hospital, after watching Sam collapse in front of her. It wasn't long ago that her friend Ally did the same thing and later died. These are all examples of how using history helps character and plot development, and GH did it well. Not to mention, the writers had some great one-liners this week. I had to chuckle out loud when Sonny said that Jax is "going all law and order on me," and when Ethan quipped, "I may cheat at cards but never on women."
On a shallow note, Lucky, can you please clean up that scruff on your face? It looks like aliens left crop circles on your cheeks or that you let Jake and Cam loose with the razor. You are too handsome to be hiding behind that mess.
Go, Elizabeth! Yay for following her gut that Aiden looks like Lucky. I hope this plot will give Liz something to do other than work.
Friendships in daytime are rare, so I'm excited when I see one like Jax and Alexis' that continues year after year. I love these two together, whether commiserating about their poor luck in love or agonizing over their children. More, please!
I know I'm probably alone here, but I can't get enough of Lulu and Johnny. Thank you, writers, for putting them in a scene together that had some substance and recalled their history. Wow, do those two sizzle. I forgot how much I loved them together. I miss piano-playing, soul-baring Johnny. Lulu and Johnny were a good mix. We all know women sometimes gravitate toward men who have similar characteristics of their fathers, and Johnny is a lot closer to shady Luke than Dante will ever be. Johnny has just enough edge to keep Lulu interesting and interested.
Oh, no, he didn't! I hope I took this scene wrong, but did Sonny really nod to Jason to give him "permission" to go with Sam to the hospital, instead of staying behind to look for Brenda? Sonny couldn't be that condescending, could he?
Please, Brenda, for the sake of fashion, do not try to outrun Theo's dogs in the woods in those three-inch stilettos. I'd hate for you to ruin that gorgeous dress and sweater combo.
On a personal note, I adore Carly and Jax's black free-standing wall shelf in their house. I'm currently redecorating, and if anyone reading this column is a set designer or interior designer who knows where I can find that shelf or something similar, please drop me an e-mail. Thank you!
For those of you who watch The Young and the Restless and General Hospital, I don't know about you, but every time I see Tristan Rogers, it absolutely kills me that he's not in Port Charles. Y&R is writing him an interesting story, with notes of sinister, comedy, and sincerity, giving him a love interest, and plenty of screen time. It's a shame GH couldn't have done the same. It's bittersweet watching him in Genoa City. He has screen presence and charisma. He's doing some great work over there. I just wish GH could play the over-50 crowd the way Y&R does.
And finally, Carolyn Hennesy and Julie Berman visited Soap Central Live last week -- and they were great guests. Take a listen (starting at the 30-minute mark) and hear Carolyn demand to know where her Dankies are!
Best Lines of the Week:
(Nikolas tells Lucky he had an awkward situation with Brook Lynn and doesn't want to be in the same room with her.)
Lucky: "Oh, it can't be that bad. What'd you do, suffer a princely meltdown and chew Brook Lynn out for not using the right fork?"
(Shawn tries to understand why Carly is helping him.)
Shawn: "You're like an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum -- or something."
(Johnny tells Lulu that Sonny never gets hurt when violence strikes his family.)
Lulu: "Well, Sonny was..."
Johnny: "Out of his mind ... which happens fairly often."
(Kristina thanks Ethan for staying with her family after the explosion.)
Kristina: "You've been amazing."
Ethan: "I doubt that's the word Dante would use when he finds out I've spent the night teaching his little sister how to rig a (poker) table."
Jennifer Biller
Two Scoops is an opinion column. The views expressed are not designed to be indicative of the opinions of Soap Central or its advertisers. The Two Scoops section allows our Scoop staff to discuss what might happen and what has happened, and to share their opinions on all of it. They stand by their opinions and do not expect others to share the same point of view.
