Dear readers, you know the saying, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." I think Port Charles had all that this week and more.
Something new? We have a new Kristina. I like to see myself as an open-minded person. But the powers that be in the world of daytime TV think that people are interchangeable, and I do not.
"Hey, let's take this actress everyone loves and raves about, and fire her and replace her with another person. No one will notice." But I noticed, and many of you noticed, too. I have nothing against the new actress, Kate Mansi. I am unfamiliar with her work, but I think she is very talented so far! But you know what she is not? She is not Lexi Ainsworth.
When things like this happen, there are rumors about what happened and whose idea it was. I don't know what is true. But the term "mutually beneficial" certainly didn't make things better. I just saw that catchphrase and felt icky about the situation.
But all of that aside, I will strive to give Kate Mansi the benefit of the doubt and try to accept her as Kristina. I know she is a daytime vet and will bring something new to the role. But give me a minute to mourn losing my favorite Corinthos kid.
We will also have a recast actress playing Molly, Holiday Mia Kriegel. I can't say a word about this one due to the sad situation that prompted the recast. Let's send prayers and good vibes to all involved.
Molly is our something blue -- a woman who wants to have children but has been told she probably can't and is at odds with her normally loving partner T.J.
The scenes with Molly and T.J. arguing about her endometriosis this week were hard to watch. I was angry at T.J. for blaming Molly for being sick. You know, T.J., that's what women do. They feel pain but tell themselves they are fine and keep going because so many people depend on them, and they put themselves last. I am in the AARP stage of life, and I cannot count the number of my friends who have been in similar situations. Women who experienced some symptoms, kept working, caring for their families, etc., and put off getting medical attention. It's a fantastic public service announcement.
I am glad that Molly and T.J. both have a rich support system. Molly has turned to the Davis girls to discuss her situation, and T.J. has Aunt Stella. I loved the conversation with Sam and Kristina where Kristina said that Molly and Sam envy Kristina because she dreams so big. Each of the three sisters has their own dynamic and distinct personality. Still, they all share their mother Alexis' fire, passion, and drive. Molly will not go through this alone. T.J. won't be alone, and he and Molly will figure out what to do next.
Now to Nina. She's my least favorite person in Port Charles right now. Half of you shake your head at me because she's your girl. I accept that we have different points of view. The thing is, I feel angry every time she talks! Nina is currently in possession of something borrowed, Sonny. Nina presently has Carly's husband and Carly's hotel, and that's not enough of her Single White Female life takeover; she is trying to get Carly arrested, too. I simply do not like her. She lies all the time.
Nina had a perfectly cordial conversation with Carly and then went to Sonny and played it up like Carly would trash her relationship with Willow, which is not what happened. Carly told Nina that whether Willow wanted Nina in her life was Willow's choice. Carly said if Willow chose to open her heart to Nina, Carly would not stand in the way. Perfectly cordial. But to hear Nina tell it, Carly would work against her to ensure Willow never forgave her. I was screaming "LIAR" at my TV like Miracle Max's wife, played by Carol Kane in Princess Bride.
Does that mean I think Carly is blameless? No, Carly has taunted Nina and repeatedly said cruel things to her. But in my opinion, those hurtful words were justified. I always try to put myself in a character's shoes. If I mourned my presumed-dead husband for a year and then found out he was alive the whole time, and an acquaintance knew and didn't tell me? Lifetime enemy. And don't come at me with the "What about..." Like, "What about when Carly didn't tell Nina about Nelle?" (Nelle was already dead.) Carly certainly likes to push people's buttons.
I know Carly's flaws. I have watched Carly's every move through four different actresses playing Carly. I know her sins, and I still prefer her to Nina. I also prefer chocolate to vanilla, mushrooms on my pizza to the nasty anchovies my dad used to eat, I prefer yellow to brown, I prefer the ocean to the desert, and many other random opinions. This is just one. I am sure you have ideas, too. So, if my opinion doesn't match yours, that's okay.
The truth will come out. Brook Lynn was the one who realized that the person who turned Drew and Carly in to the SEC could be someone who only had a grudge against one of them, not both. I can't decide which scenario would be most satisfying. Who should be the one to burst in and wreck Sonny and Nina's wedding? Carly? Brick? Michael? So many people have a reason to want to destroy that wedding. Maybe even Phyllis. After all, Sonny bought her a bar, so if she found out Nina was up to her old tricks again, she might feel loyalty to Sonny and spill the beans. I am jonesing for that scene, no matter who delivers the blow. My favorite moment of the week was when Carly informed Diane that Nina and Sonny were getting married, and Diane visibly gagged. I laughed so hard!
I was about to Tweet on it when Nina said Carly had a storybook ending. I saw my fellow scooper Liz already said it perfectly. "WTH is Nina talking about? What storybook ending did Carly get? She's divorced, her BFF is dead, she lost her hotel and a big chunk of $$, and she is looking at time in prison."
Dear readers, our "something old" has aged like fine wine, the elegant and fierce Jane Elliot lighting up our screens again as Tracy Quartermaine. Her presence is a masterclass on how to light up a TV screen. She's never dull. She never phones it in. I never fast-forward her scenes. Tracy never delivers a throw-away line. You can't take your eyes off her. I pitied poor Chase when she asked him to meet her. I knew their meeting was not an innocent "getting to know you" chitchat. She dropped the hammer on Chase and insisted he acknowledge that her granddaughter was beneath him, that he didn't deserve her, and that he'd better shape up.
It worked! After Tracy's... what shall we call it? A pep talk? Whatever it was, it ended up with Chase serenading Brook Lynn with her own song, accompanied by Finn doing his best John Cusack impersonation. Tracy is a bulldog regarding her family and will fight for them in every circumstance. As much as she dislikes Carly, the two have that trait in common.
For all we know, Tracy is in cahoots with Nina to eliminate Drew and Michael so her son Ned can become CEO again. This may not be a formal partnership, but I can see Tracy taking advantage of the situation for Ned's gain.
I enjoyed the Tracy and Gregory spat over his son and her granddaughter. If Tracy is in the mood to play cougar to Gregory, that is a pairing I could get behind.
Readers, I am so angry with Gladys. After losing Brando and Liam, Sasha has been through enough. Do we have to watch her go bankrupt, too? I am rooting for Cody to find out Gladys' lies and betrayal. I like Cody and Sasha together. I think there is promise in that pairing, and I am ready to give the writers time to explore that relationship.
Gladys is in 80k deep with Ms. Wu, and I must ask, how many hands of poker do you have to lose to be down by 80k? I knew Mike was a compulsive gambler; is it contagious? I don't know. But when Sonny finds out that Gladys is working against him to give info to Ms. Wu about his organization, she will be banished for life or end up in the Port Charles version of the Train Station, the Pine Barrens.
Sonny thinks the enemy of his new business partner is coming against Carly to try to come after him. Sonny still loves Carly so much that he tells her to take the deal offered to her and turn state's evidence against him! She declined, but can you imagine the look on Nina's face if Sonny ended up in jail instead of Carly? But the better option is for Sonny and Carly to remarry to keep either of them from testifying against the other. Go ahead and drive Sonny right back into Carly's arms, Nina.
When Sonny informed Diane and Nina that the Feds offered Carly a deal to turn on him, Nina's face sank. Diane wanted to speak to Sonny alone, but he insisted Nina stay and hear. Diane ensuring that Nina knew the two of them were not friends was priceless. When Nina said that, until Nixon Falls, she hadn't realized she needed something else in her life, Diane quipped, "Buy a puppy," and I cracked up!
The scenes with Donna, Carly, and Sonny reminded me how much I miss them as a family. I am still rooting for a reunion, even if it is brought on by an investigation and criminal charges.
But right now, the Corinthos clan has put that all aside to rally around Willow as her bone marrow transplant finally happens. I am rooting for Michael and Willow to be able to move forward. I am back on his team now that Michael dropped his plan to destroy Sonny. When Michael hears that Sonny offered for Carly to turn on him to save herself, he might even like his dad again. Here's hoping they are all back together by Christmas, and Nina finds someone new to date, like Finn, Austin, Gregory, or anyone other than Sonny.
After kissing Jordan, Curtis decided he would move home and work on things with Portia. Is it because he feels so much for Portia, or did kissing Jordan unlock his feelings for her? I am torn here; I like both couples, and I can't land on one or the other. I am worried about Curtis, because either A) He is working with the authorities to take down Ms. Wu, or B) He is actually working with her and will go down with her. I can't imagine either Portia or Jordan being happy about his partnering with the mob.
What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will we see some more steamy half-naked sauna scenes with Dex and Spencer? (Asking for a friend...) Will Cody find a better threat than streaking on live TV next time he wants to ride to Sasha's rescue? Will Sony become a Mormon to have Carly and Nina as sister wives and solve all his problems? Will Olivia ever support Ned the way he defends her instead of always assuming the worst of him? Wasn't she supposed to be psychic? Will Violet actually get to go to Disney? Will Willow opt to call out for the living, breathing, flawed mother that is still here on earth, or Harmony, who was in the process of being redeemed and then knocked down again?
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