Dear readers, I started out the week with low expectations. Why? Because certain storylines have been stringing me along for so long. Awhile back, Saturday Night Live had a skit where Keenan Thompson would hear the headlines of the day, and two newscasters would say, "Oh, this is finally it! This guy is going down." And Keenan's character would say, "Ain't nothin' gonna happen." And my husband and I latched onto that to use in various aspects of life because we have a 30-year repertoire of old SNL skits to entertain one another.
So, many of you would write or tweet me and say, "Maybe this is the week someone will see Sonny is alive!" In my head, I thought, "Ain't nothin' gonna happen." I thought Jax would show up, Nina would pull him outside, and shoo him off, and he wouldn't see Sonny. Or Sonny would see Jax, and it would trigger memories of some long-past fight between the two of them, but then he'd talk himself out of it and chalk it up to the time he saw Jax at the hoedown.
But something did happen. I love it when I am wrong! Jax saw Sonny! Finally, someone other than crazy Nina knows that Sonny is alive! My heart was pounding, watching those scenes.
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about Jax changing over the years, but this week, I saw a glimpse of the Jax of the past. The White Knight, as Sonny used to call him, is about to get on his white horse and ride to the rescue again.
Laid-back, sweet-hearted "Mike" growled with Sonny's rage when he thought Jax was upsetting Nina. "Mike" doesn't know that he has hated Jax for decades, but apparently, hatred can transcend memory. His gut instinct was that Jax was an enemy.
These scenes were pure fire. Maurice Benard, Cynthia Watros, and Ingo Rademacher were all at the top of their game. Nina looked like a caged animal. She was pacing the room with her eyes darting frantically, trying to find an explanation that would satisfy Jax so he wouldn't blow up her dream world with "Mike." Jax was looking so shocked and perplexed that Nina, a woman who was so hurt by the lies of Valentin, Jax, and Carly, would do this to Sonny's family. And then there was "Mike" trying to wrap his head around the things Jax was saying. He was sitting in the woods, trying to make sense of it all, and suddenly ripped the watch from his arm and chucked it into the woods. He didn't want to be reminded of a past that might interfere with his present.
This all made for riveting viewing, and all three actors were on fire. And yeah, I have been following all the controversies and battles over actors' views on political issues. But sometimes, I just think people are mean-spirited.
I am a travel agent, and I work in an office with a dozen or so lovely people. Most of the people in my office are vaccinated, including me. I got the vaccine the day I was eligible for it. I couldn't wait to get it. But some of the people in my office are not vaccinated, and they have reasons why they made that choice. Two women in my office are battling cancer. One of the ladies had a doctor that told her, "Yes, you should definitely get the vaccine." Another of the ladies had a doctor that told her, "No, I don't think you should get the vaccine."
How can I argue with her doing the thing her doctor advised her to do while battling cancer? It's a terrible season of life we are all in. We are all weary after a year and a half of quarantines and lockdowns and sheer stupidity. I think people are trying to make the best decisions that they can. Some of my friends refuse to send their kids to school and are doing at-home learning. Some of my friends think their kids desperately need community and send their kids to school in masks and pray they make the right decision. It's all so hard right now!
The bottom line is that, while I disagree with certain actors' stances on specific issues, I won't discount their magnificent performances because I don't like what they say on any given topic.
I can disagree with your politics and still think you are a stellar actor, singer, dancer, sandwich maker, etc.
I am generally not big on the "I disagree with what the head of Joe's Tires said about the mayoral election, so I am going to try to drive him out of business!" Why? Because Joe has 800 employees of all sorts of different political, religious, and racial backgrounds who will be hurt and impacted if he goes out of business.
But also, I think decisions have consequences. As companies make decisions about what is best for their companies, some people's choices will impact their livelihood. Companies have the right to make decisions that protect them financially, legally, and morally. I have been following the cruise lines and all the protocols they put in place to stay in business. If they didn't have any rules, they would not be able to cruise because the ports they are visiting say, "Only vaccinated people can get off the ship on our island." So, they must sail with vaccinated passengers or just float around the harbor in Miami because no one else wants to take the chance of people spreading the virus on their islands.
But I have gotten way off-topic. Back to GH.
Jason and Carly are on the verge of a wedding and are starting to feel the old feelings they have kept at bay for years; I saw a lot of commentary on this topic, as well. I don't think Jason and Carly loving each other means that all their other relationships were lies. I believe hearts are capable of loving more than one person. Over the years, we may have had many relationships that are genuine love. Jason and Carly loved each other 25 years ago. Then they both had multiple relationships with other people in between. But they remained so close over the years that every partner they have ever had has commented on it and been intimidated by their bond.
Jason loving Carly doesn't mean he didn't love Sam or that he didn't love Courtney, Elizabeth, or anyone else. It means he loved Carly and those other women in his past. It's not negating all his previous relationships to admit that he has loved Carly for 20 years. I loved that they were at the site of the old Jake's. I remember those days when Sarah Joy Brown was Carly, and they used to play pool, followed by afternoon delight upstairs. The writers aren't making this history up; it happened. Jason and Carly did indeed have a relationship 25 years ago.
Remember that Carly thinks Sonny is dead. She doesn't know he's shacking up with Nina at the Tan-O. She doesn't want to live in a loveless marriage just for show, and she wants to see that she and Jason can have something real together. Jason recently had a fling with Britt, but do you honestly think that compares to what he and Carly have been through over the past 25 years? Carly came onto the scene in 1996, and she and Jason have been connected all that time. Well, except for the time she thought his brainwashed twin, Drew, was Jason, and then she loved him, too.
But will they get married? I don't think so. I hope that call Jason got was Jax telling Jason to call off the wedding.
Can you imagine Monday? Jax, Peter, and Mike/Sonny are all going to end up at the Tan-O together. My fear is that Peter will shoot Jax, and he won't be able to tell anyone about Sonny until it's too late.
Of course, the Five Families are secretly plotting against Jason and Carly. They plan to take down the Corinthos territory during the nuptials, so if the wedding does happen, will Sonny even have a territory to come home to? Or will he have to franchise Sonnybucks to make a living?
Readers, there have been so many big reveals this week, I had a hard time deciding where to go next. How about to the basement of Roger Barstow? Portia and Curtis had a plan to get info from Roger about the Drew Cain case, and Jordan went to see him in connection to the Naomi Dreyfus case. But when they arrived, poor Roger was already dead. Also, I am stunned that these three didn't know the cardinal rule of mysteries. We all learned this from Scooby-Doo as kids: the "Let's split up" ploy never ends well! Never split up!
Two big reveals out of this storyline: 1) Curtis is totally Trina's dad. 2) Curtis still loves Jordan.
As Jordan and Portia breathed in the fumes from the gas leak the unnamed man left in Roger Barstow's basement, I thought to myself, "Hey, that looks like Alexis' porch. Did Roger move into her house while Alexis is in the clink?" My second thought was, "Hey, isn't that the same basement where Fluke was having his meltdown when Luke lost his damned mind?" What do you think, readers? Did those sets look familiar to you, too?
But back to the action... Portia admitted she had a secret she needed to tell Trina because Trina needed to know the truth about her father. So, let's do some math. Portia was married to Taggert but had an affair years ago with Curtis, before Trina was born. She said she needed to tell Trina the truth about her dad. Yeah, that soap math adds up to Curtis is Trina's dad.
Then, at the hospital, as Jordan is fighting for her life in the ER, Curtis tearfully begs her to come back to him and T.J. and admits he needs her, as Portia listens in. Maybe that busybody Aunt Stella was right, after all, and Curtis is still in love with Jordan. I think that after Portia witnessed that display of devotion, she would be hesitant to blow up his life by confessing that Curtis is Trina's dad.
Readers. Is it just me, or did seeing Donnell Turner cry make you cry, too? I don't know what it is, but when I see tough soap guys tear up, it makes me tear up, too. I cry if Jason cries. I cry if Sonny cries. I cry if Curtis cries. I also got a little misty this week over the scene with Dante and Jason talking about Sonny. It's just so moving to me when people who are strong express their emotional vulnerability. It always overwhelms me with emotion, maybe because I grew up with a tough guy, Daddy, and only saw him cry a few times over the years, and that always got to me, too.
I love the character of Curtis. He is a loyal friend and wholly devoted to the people in his life. I am so thrilled that the GH writers wrote a scene like this to give him a chance to shine. So often, Curtis investigates or is an excellent listener to people sharing their troubles with him or runs his club. Still, he doesn't get enough deep heartfelt scenes like this, and he's just so good at them. I admit that I am team Curtis and Jordan, and I want them to reunite.
Maybe Portia can date new doctor Austin. I can't quite figure him out. He is still a mystery to me. Readers, I can't say that I see the "why" behind the writers' decisions yet. They brought Roger Howarth back as Franco and allowed him to be redeemed. They paired him with Elizabeth and allowed him to become a wonderful stepfather to a house full of boys who have had terrible father figures over the years. Then, they just randomly killed him off and made him a new character.
I don't understand that at all, and I'm not crazy about that decision. I loved Liz and Franco together.
If the powers that be wanted to make Franco a Quartermaine, why not just make him Austin from the start and let James Franco come back as a reformed Franco and play out that storyline with the original actor?
Here is what we know about Austin at this point. He is seemingly a good doctor with a genuine concern for his patients. He is a conniving schemer who was totally okay with using Chase's heartbreak to get what he wanted. He seemingly does not remember Maxie and Brook Lynn were together the night of Louise's birth. Still, maybe he does and is holding it until he needs it to get the Q shares he thinks he deserves. I don't like him yet. I don't trust him yet.
I did really enjoy his scenes with Ned and Leo. I think we might be heading into a storyline where Leo has autism. Perhaps this will be the catalyst to Austin being accepted by the Q family. If Ned and Olivia see that he is genuinely trying to help Leo and that it's not a ploy, they may let him in. But if it is a ploy, I will hate Austin for using a kid in his schemes.
Speaking of schemes, the best comic relief this week came in the scenes with Maxie and Brook Lynn. Amanda Setton and Kirsten Storms are dynamite together, the Lucy and Ethel of GH. And if you don't know who Lucy and Ethel are, that means you are much younger than I am. Maxie uses Brook Lynn to hide her baby from Peter. Now Brook Lynn is trying to use Austin's crush on Maxie to get info into his actual motives with the Q family fortune. But the two of them huddling in the corner, whispering to each other about their shenanigans, is just fun and adorable. I really love them together. Imagine when Lulu comes back someday (hopefully) and finds out that Maxie and Brook Lynn have bonded!
What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will Bubba and Floyd beat up Nikolas again for stopping by Ava's gallery to buy a painting for the Wyndemere entryway? Will Esme get caught for torching Ava's car, or will "Spence" cover for her and let her continue to torment Trina? Will Gladys become the new moll of the Novak family? Will Dante and Jason bond over their shared grief and grab some brewskis together? Will Sonny come back to Port Charles and start bottling his famous sauce at Pozzulo's? (or Mob Pasta, as I like to call it.) Will Monica and Carly go for pre-wedding pedicures? Will Peter get taken down by Jax or by Sonny, or both?
Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.
Tamilu
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