This, dear readers, is what life looks like... Someone in your family gets into a car accident, and your family gathers at the hospital and bickers about how to best treat your injuries. It's relatable. It's real. And, thanks to new head writer Garin Wolf, it's now part of the fabric of General Hospital. Fewer mob wars, and more relationship-driven storylines.
This shift in focus makes me feel religious fervor, and I want to shout, "Hallelujah!" I'm engaged. I care what happens next again. I'm in suspense. I am desperate to discover if Jason emerges from his brain surgery with his memory of the past intact. Will he remember he is engaged to Sam, or will he call out for Keesha?
No matter how he wakes up, his mom is there, his grandfather is there, and that makes the Soap Diva very happy. In the past, Jason's extended family was only paraded out at Christmas or for the occasional wedding. I'm pleased that Garin Wolf is weaving layers and sewing history into GH's beautiful tapestry.
Jax was tempted to do something bad and kidnap the daughter he lost custody of, but Garin Wolf remembered Jax was a hero, so he didn't let him follow through on his evil impulse. I'm sure anyone who has ever gone through an ugly child custody battle could relate to that fleeting thought of "I'll just put my kid in my car and take off" thought because, as a parent, you know what sort of danger your child could be in better than any court.
The sad part is (spoiler alert) it appears that Jax's departure is going to leave us thinking he's dead -- rumor has it that Sonny will tamper with Jax's plane and when he leaves, the plane will go down, and it will be unclear whether or not Jax is dead or alive. But, having watched Robert and Anna Scorpio blow up in a boat crash and then re-appear a decade later fine and healthy, I'm not afraid -- soaps can resurrect any character at any time, and if it's a beloved character, the audience will chuckle and go along with it.
Our beloved Lucky Spencer is on the longest drug trip in history. I have to wonder what Anthony's goon Jeff Spicoli or Garth Algar -- or whatever his name is -- gave Lucky. I've taken Vicodin before, and it doesn't do that to you. Whatever he's on, he's having flashbacks of his wedding to Elizabeth and ended up in the gutted-out chapel where they once said their vows. Their Big Scary Love sent vibes to Elizabeth that penetrated hospital walls and rainstorms so she'd know where to find Lucky.
Do you believe connections like that exist, dear readers? A sixth sense about your beloved that lets you know when something's amiss -- a homing signal that emanates from their soul to yours? Call me an old fool, but I believe it. Lucky and Elizabeth's hearts have been intertwined for years, and they are connected to each other's wavelength. There's an old song "Calleth You, Cometh I" (link posted on Twitter) and with Lucky and Liz -- "That's just how it is -- when reasons stops and something else kicks in."
Lucky is married to Siobhan. Liz is single and still reeling from the aftermath of Jake's death. Elizabeth and Lucky have tried and failed before. But all the reasons they shouldn't be together pale in comparison to that magnetic pull their souls feel for one another and how they are drawn together, time after time, over and over. I know there are those rooting for Elizabeth and Jason, but I'm not. I'm rooting for the love that's True instead of the love that sizzles then fizzles.
Lucky married Siobhan to help her get a green card -- they liked each other, but didn't love each other. Lucky is an honorable man (when he's not hooked on pills, that is) and won't want to break his vows to Siobhan, so rumor has it (spoiler alert) that Siobhan will die from her latest head trauma, and Lucky won't have to stain his pure heart by divorcing his wife to marry his soul mate. That's why his name is Lucky!
Sam is not so Lucky. She finally got engaged, and now Jason's got a brain injury. This is why people fear happiness! The guy you've been in love with for years finally proposes, and two days later, he's having brain surgery. But it's great drama and so elegantly written by Garin Wolf. Jason's ex-girlfriend, now chief of staff at the hospital, ends up being the one to make the decision on his brain surgery. What wonderful soapy irony!
Is it just me, or has poor Dante really taken a beating lately as a character? He's a good guy. He tries to do right by everybody. And yet, he keeps getting the crap beaten out of him, literally and figuratively. I hope Lulu appreciates the wonderful man she has. Or should I call her Moonlight?
While I am anxious to get my beloved nerd Spinelli back, his Jackal P.I. persona is revealing things about his character. Every now and then, we get a glimpse of Spinelli trying to break through, and it makes me cry every single time. I think all of us have the "real us" -- the dork us -- and then we have the image we carry in our heads of who we think we could be. My pretend me is thinner and more witty than the real me. If I got a brain injury that made my imaginary me come out, I'd be trying to squeeze myself into clothes three sizes smaller than I actually wear. I'm willing to be patient a little longer with the Spinelli storyline because Maxie is gravitating back to him, and that's exactly the way I want it!
I am also delighted that evil Anthony bought Johnny a baby grand piano. Know why? Because I like hearing Brandon Barash play the piano! There are a lot of musically gifted actors on GH, and putting an instrument on the set means they might get to display that talent, and I'm all for using one's gifts.
In addition, I would almost swear I saw something...human in Anthony this week. As he ascended the stairs while Johnny was playing the piano, he looked down on his son with, dare I say, ...affection? Could it be that Garin Wolf is going to attempt to give our arch-villain a heart? Heaven knows Bruce Weitz could pull it off. He's a phenomenal actor, and while he is delightfully evil as Anthony, I wouldn't mind if they made him a three-dimensional character, if we found out how he got to be so wicked, if he got a backstory and depth -- I'm all for it.
Sonny, on the other hand, is being unusually uncaring right now -- his best friend is in brain surgery after an accident, and Sonny's only aim is revenge on Jax. When Sam was calling him out on it and he just kept creaming at her to answer his question about Robin, I wanted Sam to kick him. Many people have predicted that Carly and Sonny will reunite, but I can assure you that if Sonny downs Jax's plane as rumors predict, Carly will not have anything to do with him. Instead, I am predicting a Carly/Shawn romance.
I am happy that Garin Wolf is picking up the "PTSD" aspect of Shawn's character. As you may recall, I was unhappy when He Whose Name I Shall Not Speak dropped that aspect of the storyline before his reign as writer ended on GH. I live in a military town and know several of my friends whose husbands came home from Iraq of Afghanistan struggling with PTSD, and I am happy Garin Wolf is bold enough to take that on and address it. We've been at war nearly ten years now, and having one soap character who's a war veteran is a good story to tell right now.
I confess, I had a really hard time not laughing as Michael tried to slip into Sonny's "Rico Suave" persona (and his Saturday Night Fever white suit) on the island with Abby. Sorry, Michael, you just aren't smooth enough to pull that off yet. Abby tried to be responsible and go back to work, but was lured into the water and the casino by her persuasive boyfriend and a dress that might have previously belonged to Alexis, Kate, Emily, Lily, Carly, or Brenda. (Am I forgetting anyone?) We'll see how that plays out for Abby once she's back at ELQ and Tracy's claws come out.
Readers, I know Carly is a completely self-absorbed character, but I actually felt compassion for her this week. Yes, she went and dragged Jason out in a storm to help her find Josslyn, and he got into a car crash, but -- truth be told -- which of us wouldn't do the same thing? If someone kidnapped one of my kids and I was a best friend with a gun-toting hit man, I would certainly drag him along to try and get my kid back, wouldn't you? Laura Wright is doing a wonderful job pulling off the plethora of emotions Carly is feeling -- anger, fear, regret, love -- she's all over the map. Carly has always been a complicated character, and if Jason wakes up not remembering her or her place in his life, it might push her over the edge. She's tough, but she's fragile too.
What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will Skye stop by Anthony's and fall for a piano-playing Johnny? Will Olivia go home and change out of her evening gown before it gets bloody at the hospital? Will a baby actor who doesn't constantly cry for her off-stage real mommy replace Josslyn? Will Lucky come out of his drug haze and realize his Irish green card wife is an annoying nag and go back to his formerly cheating soul mate? Will we see the back of Luke's hand handing more diamonds out to Helena? Will Garin Wolf be able to feel my love across the miles for bringing my show back to its roots?
