It sure is hard to tell that it's Thanksgiving Eve in Port Charles. Instead of making last-minute runs to the grocery store, getting the cleaning and baking done, or making sure the turkey is thawing in the fridge, the good people of Port Charles are cooking up trouble everywhere they go.
Let's start with Holly, who absolutely confounds me.
In the span of a single day, Holly went from coming clean to Robert about her dirty deeds for Victor -- including that Victor forced Holly's compliance by killing her sister, Paloma, and holding Ethan hostage -- to betraying the man she claims to love by dosing him with a powerful sedative. Why? I understand why she felt that she had to meet Victor. It's important to placate him until she can vanquish him or mount a rescue for Ethan, but why not tell Robert about Victor's demand for the diamond necklace?
Had Holly pulled Robert aside and told him that Victor is after the necklace, perhaps Robert and Holly could have planted some kind of tracking device on it and maybe gotten to the bottom of whatever Victor has really been up to since rising from the dead. Instead, Holly arranged for Victor to send a minion to the hotel with a sedative that she then used to drug Robert right in front of Diane. It's no wonder Diane became suspicious when Holly whisked a barely coherent Robert away, despite the fact that he was at the restaurant to turn over the valuable necklace to a WSB agent.
After this, how does Holly remain in Port Charles? If Robert doesn't arrest her for the theft of the necklace, then the WSB will.
I had so hoped that Holly's confession to Robert meant that they would team up to take Victor down. Let's face it, Victor has zero incentive to relinquish his hold on Ethan as long as Holly continues to cooperate. It's a one-sided arrangement, with Victor reaping all the rewards. The only real hope that Holly has of saving Ethan is Robert. It makes no sense that she would betray Robert like this.
Then again, I know that Emma Samms is only sticking around for a short time, so perhaps this will explain why Robert will ultimately not ride off into the sunset with his lady love after Victor's evil plot is exposed and Victor pays for all his crimes against humanity. I'd rather Robert and Holly have a breakup over irreconcilable differences than for Holly to be dead. At least, this way, there will always be hope for the two to find a path toward reconciliation down the road.
Despite my disappointment over how things have to end for Robert and Holly, I do appreciate that the writers did a fantastic job of filling in all the gaps over the years as Holly's abduction and faked death played out. The mysterious phone calls, the cries for help in the prison that both Valentin and Drew had heard during their days as Victor's captives, and the true circumstances of Lucy's shooting all fall into place nicely. I'm also pleased to know that Lucy isn't dead, even though it would have served her right for thinking that she could outfox Victor.
I can't entirely rule out the possibility that Robert and Holly staged everything at the restaurant for Victor's benefit, but it seems unlikely. Robert already had the necklace when Victor gave Holly the order, so there wouldn't have been enough time for Holly to call Robert and devise a plan of action.
I am curious what Victor is up to, though, especially now that I know the Ice Princess is somehow involved. Has he dusted off the old weather machine to take another stab at world domination? It's possible, but ever since Victor returned, he has been yammering on about a threat to the family lurking in the shadows. I'd love it if that threat turned out to be someone like Jerry Jacks, but given Victor's penchant for hyperbole, it's more likely that Victor was speaking figuratively, not literally.
Meanwhile, Josslyn and Dex finally kissed. Poor Dex. I don't think he realizes how exhausting it can be to date someone as extra as Josslyn. He's beguiled by a pretty face, so he's not paying attention to the little harpy's actions, which are controlling and dishonest. Let's set aside the fact that Josslyn is in a relationship with someone who deserves to know that she has moved on, but she's now lying to her best friend and hiding an injured mobster in her dorm room. On top of that, Josslyn has also taken it upon herself to save Dex from his poor choices, even though no one, especially Dex, has asked her to. She barely knows Dex, but because he's cute, she has decided that there's good in him.
Truthfully, both Josslyn and Dex annoy me -- Josslyn because she's doing Cameron dirty, and Dex because he doesn't seem to be able to pick a lane. One minute, he's promising to stay away from Josslyn, and the next, he's inviting her into his apartment and letting her button his shirt. He claims that he has what it takes to work undercover, but the minute a mission for Sonny goes sideways, he heads to Michael's house.
The writing is painfully heavy-handed. Dex shows up at the gatehouse, and Josslyn springs into action by stitching him up as if needles and thread for such things are readily available in standard home first-aid kits. Mind you, stitching skin together isn't an easy task because skin is more like leather than cotton. Teenage Josslyn, who was born with a platinum cutlery set and lived a coddled and pampered life, not only rose to the occasion like a seasoned combat medic, but she even sneaked in some time to ogle Dex's abs as he bled on Michael's living room floor.
Dex told Sonny that he had decided to lay low to keep the heat away from Sonny. How is going to Michael's house -- where Michael lives with his fiancée and their son -- keeping a low profile? Not only is the gatehouse occupied by a family, but there's a huge mansion on the property, filled with people, and even a stable with a part-time stable hand. Dex took a huge risk going to Michael when there was no reason to. What was Michael going to do? Take Dex to a secret Urgent Care where they don't ask questions or report gunshot wounds?
Sonny was the one with access to safe houses and mob doctors, and Sonny was the one who was actually waiting for Dex to check in. Had Dex gone to Sonny, Sonny would have taken care of Dex.
I'm very much Team Cameron, but something about Dex rubs me the wrong way. He hasn't kept his word to Michael about not involving Josslyn. Just the opposite, and that kiss is just one of many recent examples of how Dex has repeatedly broken that promise. I know he has his fans -- and they are certain that he's a good guy -- but I'm not convinced yet. People in Sonny's orbit have a nasty habit of either getting sucked into his world or turning out to be the enemy. An enemy of Sonny's is always a bad guy.
Even Dante, who was shot point-blank in the chest by his father, who has seen the trail of bodies left in his father's wake, and who has taken an oath to enforce the law, sings Sonny's praises. Everyone on the police force does. Sonny might be a mob boss, but in Port Charles, he's King Sonny.
However, Sonny's crown has become a bit tarnished. I don't know if it's intentional or if the writers are simply unaware of just how bad they make Sonny -- and Nina -- look in almost any given situation lately. Sonny and Nina seem to live in their own world, where they view everyone through the prism of their own flaws without any sense of self-awareness.
When Nina told Sonny that she'd seen Carly go into Brick's hotel room, Sonny readily believed the worst. It never occurred to him that there would be a reason for Carly to need Brick's discreet services, even though Carly has a very long history of doing things that aren't always aboveboard. Nope. Sonny went there and got his nose out of joint at the idea that Brick would betray him in such a way. Despite Brick's assurance that there was no affair, it took Carly telling Sonny that she's seeing Drew to get Sonny to back down.
A few weeks ago, Sonny was whining because Carly's boundaries for Donna were no longer working for him, but he thinks that his boundaries for Carly can include dictating who Carly can't date. The same man who chose his lover over his family. It's ridiculous, and a part of me kind of wished that Carly and Brick would embark on a torrid affair just to spite Sonny. I felt bad for Brick, and he should have tendered his resignation right then and there. Brick has never given Sonny any reason to doubt his word.
Sonny's scenes with Drew were equally frustrating. Sonny was hurt that Michael had asked Drew to look for Willow's biological parents instead of turning to Sonny for help. Sonny actually had the audacity to wonder why, as if Sonny and Michael's relationship hasn't been strained for months, and Sonny and his girlfriend hadn't recently been engaging in malicious -- and completely erroneous -- gossip about Willow and T.J. Gee, Sonny, what possible reason could Michael and Willow have for not wanting your help?
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Sonny and Nina bring out the very worst in each other, and both seem to feed the other's delusions.
When Carly confronted Nina about spreading gossip, Nina acted like she had a genuine reason for suspecting Willow and T.J. of being unfaithful. Nina didn't. All that Nina saw were a couple of hugs between good friends. Nina's excuse about being worried that Wiley would end up in a broken home also rang hollow. So what if Michael and Willow break up? I don't recall the judge stipulating that Michael and Willow had to stay together until Wiley was an adult.
I'm very disappointed that the bowl of orange goop didn't end up on Nina's head. Nina acts like Michael and Willow don't love their son and that he's nothing more than a means for Michael and Willow to punish Nina. That is not the case at all. Wiley is a happy child, and he loves his parents. I wouldn't want someone as toxic as Nina near my child, either.
Luckily for Nina, she's going to get a second chance at everything, including motherhood, when the truth about Willow's maternity is revealed. That's not going to happen until Carly finds out that Willow has cancer and needs a bone marrow transplant -- important information that Willow decided to withhold a little while longer because she doesn't want anyone to tell Wiley that she's sick. Lamest. Excuse. Ever.
First, does Willow honestly believe that any of her or Michael's loved ones would tell Wiley that his mother has cancer without Willow or Michael permission? Second, does Willow think Wiley won't notice his mother getting sick in the bathroom, losing her hair, and sleeping a lot? He will, and not telling Wiley what's going on is only going to make him feel confused and scared. He doesn't have to know that cancer is deadly, but he should be told that his mother is sick. Willow's heart is in the right place, but her decision is likely to do more harm than good.
By comparison, Britt met with a specialist and got the answer that she had been dreading, and she shared the news with her mother. Britt has an advanced stage of Huntington's disease, and her prognosis is grim. The scenes between Britt and Liesl were powerful. I bawled like a baby when Britt told her mother that she didn't need a doctor, she needed a mom. It was such a raw and compelling moment. I felt Britt's fear and Liesl's utter heartbreak as mother and daughter embraced.
Kelly Thiebaud and Kathleen Gati are superb together, and the scene in Britt's office was so poignant because you saw the love between them and their characters.
That's how you tug my heartstrings, not by playing the martyr like Willow. I adore Willow, but I can't help but notice that her request is also denying Michael a much-needed support system. Yes, Willow will be the one undergoing treatment, but Michael will be her caretaker, the one making sure that Wiley is shielded from the worst, and he'll be worrying about his unborn child. That is a lot to put on anyone's shoulders. Willow has T.J. to lean on, but who will Michael have?
It's not fair to expect T.J. to be the sole support system for both Willow and Michael. T.J. has his own busy life, career, family, and life partner that he dearly loves.
Like Willow, Britt also kept her concerns to herself when she first suspected that she might have Huntington's disease, but once she got her diagnosis, she told her mother. Britt's reaction to the crushing news seemed more realistic. Britt cried, she trashed her office, and she indulged in self-pity. However, when Liesl showed up, Britt broke the news to her mother. Willow kept quiet to spare Michael, but it didn't make things easier because her situation is much more dire.
I should feel as bad for Willow as I do Britt, but I don't. Willow's story is predictable, while Britt's is filled with uncertainty and angst, and I find myself a lot more emotionally invested in what happens to Britt. I know that Kelly is slated to exit the show -- and I hate to see her go -- but I would be okay with a recast to keep Britt around. Not just for Liesl's sake, but I find Austin infinitely more interesting with Britt than I do with Maxie.
Speaking of recasts, Adam Huss returned to fill in for Marcus Coloma as Nikolas Cassadine, and boy, are things heating up in the castle. Elizabeth has joined the madness on Spoon Island by keeping medical watch over Esme, who remains imprisoned in the north tower. Nikolas' plans are ever evolving, but his prime objective appears to be to get his hands on his child as soon as it enters the world.
Why would Elizabeth help Nikolas? From her perspective, Esme exploited Elizabeth's eldest child in the vilest of ways, and Esme is very likely the killer terrorizing those close to Trina, which includes Cameron. Also -- good or bad -- Nikolas and Elizabeth are best friends, and Elizabeth has always been the kind of friend that Nikolas could call if he needed help burying a body. In the real world, that is just a figure of speech, but on a soap opera, it's practically a requirement for citizenship.
Elizabeth is in a bad place emotionally. Her romance with Finn is barely hanging on by a thread, her relationship with her parents is a hot dysfunctional mess -- to say the least -- and she feels responsible for the death of a young woman. I still say there is way more to the story than Jeff and Carolyn are saying, but regardless, Elizabeth is going through a lot, and helping Nikolas with Esme might be more about blowing off some pent-up steam than helping a friend.
Esme isn't an innocent lamb. Don't forget that viewers saw her hand Oz the drugged drink that nearly killed him. She would have let Oz die if Curtis hadn't shown up. It also hasn't escaped my notice that we haven't heard from the Hook since Esme was locked back in her ivory prison.
Only on a soap opera would someone hand over a diamond necklace worth millions during a meltdown. I don't care how upset I am, I would never do that. Ever.
If Holly dumped the latex mask of Anna in a nearby trash bin after shooting Lucy, why did the police not find it when they searched the area?
If anyone deserves to be hooked by the killer, it's Linc. He's such a skeevy guy.
Hands up everyone. How many times have we seen a soap character who needs life-saving transplant of some sort and it's from someone they didn't know they were related to? Can't they just find another way and spare us the long drawn out wait for something we have known was going to happen for months? -- JDF
I like Dex. He's better for Joss than Cam because Cam is too nice. Joss needs a man who will stand up to her and call her on her crap. -- Kasi Blake
We've always known there are at least 2 times zones in Port Charles. One where dinner is over, so Kelley's is closed and one where people are still at afternoon doctor appts. -- Lucky Lady
I love hearing from readers, so please feel free to leave a comment below or email me
Take care and happy viewing,
Liz Masters
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