Lobsel Vith

Which reminds me how characters who seemed to have the most personality or potential on the show (out of the banal circle of mobster and mob lackeys) were also the ones Guza and RC had the least interest in writing for. Jason does "good work"? It's absurd that she even said that. There have been numerous times that people have come upon Jason either beating someone up (like Zander) or about to kill someone (like Manny). He's not some infallible robot. Jason openly admitted to Carly that Lorenzo could very well be alive during the TMK storyline despite how he was supposed to murder Alcazar (and plenty of things surrounding that assassination attempt was sloppy, including the fact that there was an eyewitness), and he repeatedly failed to kill Original Recipe Franco multiple times. JF's Franco wasn't some master assassin; his only traits were making pretentious, alleged art and what came across as homoerotic remarks to Jason that made some feel like he was a Guza self-insert. Despite what his ridiculous sycophants would have you believe he's not a messiah or a god who is incapable of making mistakes or being sloppy.

They may simply not touch on it. Similar to Jax's rape (which Carly and Jason laughed about because Guza is terrible and so are those characters), the show never treated it as such (even though that's precisely what it is, regardless of whether the writers have the mental capacity to understand that or not). Or when Tracy was tricked by Luke into sleeping with Coleman (during the days of Reese and Carly #3), which was also glossed over despite what it actually was. Some of the rectons (post-RC) seem to have less to do with intentionally changing history than with the writers simply not bothering to learn that history, even when fans call it out on twitter and such.

I'm starting to remember Johnny and Claudia as I read that (probably because some felt they had the opposite problem despite being siblings pre-GW). 😆 It could always be worse. I mean Sam dated Sonny and had a baby with him so... you know. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯ That's the problem with allowing Sonny to dominate the canvas and have so many children (including the ones he stole) without any balance - there isn't much variety in who you can be with (a problem that existed with teen Kristina, where the most chemistry she had was with Teen Michael 1.0, and completed lacked the trio of friends that characters like Dillion, Georgie, and Maxie had way back when). There really was very little forward-thinking at the time. Or even now when you think about it. The Powers That Be don't even try to put that much thought into simply allowing new people to not be related to the main characters. Look at Cyrus and Hayden as examples. FFS, Nelly (the mother of Michael's child) was Carly's semi-sister. Jordan wanted Shawn to testify against Sonny (about the Pocket Mobster ordering him to try to kill Drew), but Shawn refused, and acted like he was the better person for taking the rap. As Shawn told TJ (when the character who should have been Justus or AJ's son brought up that Ric would have fought in court for Shawn), "I know. But taking the rap was the right thing to do. I want you to understand. Loyalty? That means staying true, TJ. Even when the chips are down." Yes, everybody, trying to murder an innocent person is the right thing to do - as per mob lackey Shawn, on behalf of one of the most terrible characters on the canvas. As you can see, Shawn is... not the brightest bulb in the pack, like every other person who has their brain eaten by whatever STI Sonny and Jason spread.

That comes across like they have no real idea what to do with Cyrus. When Lorenzo came on the scene he messed with Sonny (and intentionally excluded the non-mob folks who played a role in his older brother Luis' death, like Alexis), and that shifted into caring about Carly. He interacted with others, and developed a friendship with Dillion, who he saw as a little brother. When Manny was on the scene he was a more traditional foe, having no real lines that he wouldn't cross. In contrast, Cyrus kind of seems to meander around. There are so many crooked people in Port Charles, why is he trying to extort people to work for him when he could easily get people to work for him? True, Molly is a romantic. And the issue is TJ criticizes her choice while propping the mob - like pretending that Alexis' actions are comparable to Shawn trying to carry out a hit on a man who was innocent. The show's unwillingness to genuinely delve into those social issues without using them as a lazy means of propping (as TR put it so aptly years ago) bargain basement criminals. MB's grasp on how his character actually comes across in reality vs. how he thinks the character comes across leaves a lot to be desired.

Shawn tried to kill Jake (Jason 2.0 who became Drew Cain) at the time, but he missed (as always) and one of Nik's assassins shot Hayden (unbeknownst to him). So he was engaged in an attempted murder, he was simply far too incompetent to pull it off (as usual). In one of the most ridiculous scenes on the show, Shawn also acted like he did such a great thing when he was on trial, acting like staying true to the mob was a great thing when talking with TJ, which was such an ugly look on the character (any potential with him was wasted to make him into a mob lackey). TJ followed that up by staying with Sonny (and this was after Pod Duke tried to kill Jordan). I don't get how the show can try that when they're both mob apologists, first and foremost. The show's idea of 'woke' is giving Sonny or Jason a tongue bath rather than any genuine social justice activism (from TJ being arrested for being black so that Sonny could come to the rescue to a cult endangering people so that Jason could come to the rescue, this show repeatedly fails properly addressing any actual issues to instead prop the morally bankrupt members of the mob). While I'm completely onboard with such stories (generally speaking), TJ pointing out that a mob hitman was arrested isn't quite the parallel that works to bring across such a story. Shawn being an inept hitman doesn't change that he tried to murder a woman simply because he was following orders, and it makes TJ's position ring hollow when that's his issue, rather than addressing actual victims of color who suffer unfairly because of the justice system. Which could, hypothetically, work on a show that would also allow him to hate the mob considering they engage in activities that actively harm and kill innocent people, but no one is allowed to do that.

Spinelli's Nice Guy routine, where he acted like Maxie owed him a relationship (when she was the only one who bothered to even help him when he had personality issues and acted like a brand new annoying character), really made him disgusting (apart from his usual abhorrent shtick where he acted like Jason was his personal JC). He kept throwing tantrums because she was romantically involved with her damn boyfriend and didn't drop him for the mobster who talked like he was alien from outer space. That he had the audacity to condemn Matt as a murderer when he acted like he was in love with Jason (whose literal job description is doing precisely that) was another matter entirely. I'll never understand why RC gave those two a baby (even Frisco didn't understand why, of all the men on earth, Maxie slept with that doofus). Spinelli is the one who belonged in jail, not Matt.

It's so weird that Cam is being treated like that over thinking that a man who murders people for a living murdered someone. Jason is a murderer; he's willing to kill people, whether they are good or bad. It's not outrageous to think a killer kills. There must be something seriously wrong with the writers. Really, should Cam apologize for thinking that a murderer murdered someone? That's completely logical. Jason has killed plenty of people for decades. His direct and indirect actions have gotten people killed. Cam's own father is dead because of Jason. Even when the truth comes out, the simple fact that Jason is a killer is the very thing that should be brought up if anyone tried to chastise Cam about thinking that Jason killed someone. Then again, Carly romanticized her actions over hurting one of her only friends AJ, lied about him to make herself look good for years, vilified him after Sonny murdered him in cold blood, and her hellspawn is basically a smaller doppleganger of her, so I shouldn't be surprised that Carly's unhealthy obsession over Jason, and twisting reality to suit her vision of things, carried on to her equally annoying clone.

When Skye was around this was a matter of debate among the Qs since there was a vote to let the company go public (as she was the one who spurned this on), although in typical Guza fashion the matter was dropped and apparently forgotten among the writers (likely because the story didn't revolve around Jason so Guza's attention span couldn't retain it). Edit: The gap between the public vote with Skye and Edward's will for his grandchildren (what was better explained above) was years since, between this period, there was also a storyline involving Alan's will (in which, of course, he gave his shares to Jason's children, and that will was secretly re-written). I honestly don't think the writers paid close attention to ELQ.

Since Sonny is "dead" hopefully that means it's not all about Sonny like her last wedding was. 🤞

Hasn't this show been dealing with baby nonsense since Sonny and Ava had creepy crypt sex and she gave birth to little AJ? Way back when I thought RC was going to tie Faison with Lisa Niles, who terrorized Robin (and left her to die in a hole in the ground), which would have given some symmetry to Anna doing that to Faison and explain why Lisa Niles, who brought so much terror to Robin, only spent a week in a psychiatric ward and got her job back at GH almost immediately. Knock Off Faison really doesn't live up to the other antagonists that this show has had. If it's due to the mob then that death might have some weight.

I never want to see Lorenzo Alcazar's daughter come to town and become one of the mindless pod people who worship at the altar of the Holy Hitman. Even Robert and Anna have been forced to be on the same side as that blinking, expressionless robot. Just no. That said, I get why there are people who want some Quartermaines to be brought into the mix given how the regimes have killed off so many Quartermaines over the years (as a direct consequence of Jason's decision to join the mob, like Manny killing Justus or Jerry coming back to town as a result of a war Jason pointlessly started with Lorenzo). It's too bad AJ doesn't have a long lost son or daughter who would actually remember him given how Michael has failed to care about his father's murder and, as was already pointed out earlier, he is basically just a Corinthos at this point. Ideally, I'd say it should be a POC like Justus or Valerie, as Vinessa Antoine pointed out that people have been calling the show "Generally White Hospital" for a reason. That's really the only possible attraction at this point. Michael's problem is that he's the "son" of an emotionally stunted mob boss and can't do anything on his own without input from Sonny and Carly, even though he's supposedly an adult. When Michael rightfully hated Sonny for murdering AJ and called out Carly, Morgan, Kiki, and Pod Duke, he had an actual personality and understandable motivations. Now, he's just someone who can't put on his big boy pants without his mom and no one would find that attractive.

The show has made it clear that Jason is willing to kill innocent people and people who aren't a threat. Jason was assigned with murdering Zander at a time when Zander wasn't even a threat, and Jason only ended up standing down from that due to Elizabeth, not because it was murder. Jason interceded during the MetroCourt hit because Sonny and him had no problem with innocent casualties until he discovered Sonny's sister would be there. Jason made it clear he would kill Diego's mom if she spoke out about seeing him at the MetroCourt during the massacre. Jason wanted to kill Dante personally because Jason is a murderer. Jason is most certainly the kind of person who is willing to kill innocent people. No matter how much his sycophants on the show pretend it doesn't 'touch his soul' or that he has some magical 'code' (that's spoken so ambiguously that it clearly means nothing), he's a murderer. Jason is not a good guy. He's murdered more people than most serial killers.

Even Guza, who was obsessed with Jason to ridiculous degrees, was able to have enemies who stood their ground against Sonny and Jason (at least at first). Like when Lorenzo first came to town, kidnapped Sonny and stood toe to toe against Jason, with his snipers ready to take Jason out if he tried anything. Technically, Jason would kill her. He indicated he would murder Diego's mother if she testified about seeing him during the shootout at the MetroCourt Hotel (when Sonny and Jason had no problem with their men murdering innocent people who were witnesses until Jason found out SWSNBN would be a casualty). And when Sonny suggested killing Maxie (over the Claudia murder trial), Jason's viewpoint was that she wouldn't betray them, not that it would be wrong to murder an innocent person. There is also his intent to murder Dante (even though covering up Claudia's death was the actual problem, regardless of how the dialogue after the coverup blames everyone but the actual people who were responsible in covering that up). As well as how he was open to the prospect of McBain being killed. That no one is allowed to bring up Jason's willingness to murder innocent people is another matter. That Sonny and Jason's mob organization was jokingly referred to as the Gummy Bear Mob for years doesn't change that both of them have no qualms about murdering innocent people. Remember when Jason was torturing a cop in GH and the doctors just laughed about it despite having no context as to why Jason was doing that? Remember when Michael thought he slept with Brenda and everyone who found out thought Sonny would murder Michael? What heroic guys; so glad Jason and Sonny are the moral centers of the show. 😕

Sonny causes cognitive problems for women. See all his prior love interests who just happened to need to go to a mental institution after dating him. Sonny is an STD. I'm not certain what's worse - the way that the past regime would have Sonny do horrible things but refuse to hold him account (like shooting Dante but following that up by turning Olivia and Dante into lackeys or nearly murdering Kristina with a car bomb and then following that up with Sonny grounding Kristina) or this one refusing to allow Sonny to be responsible (like how he 'just happened' not to be responsible for the car bomb despite arranging for the car bomb).

It's a shame how even Anna and Robert have to serve on the side of the Holy Hitman. What happened to 'bargain basement criminals'? Is no one allowed to hate or oppose Sonny and Jason without being wrong or The Big Bad? The fact that Jason didn't kill Franco doesn't change that he still killed countless people (including innocent people - let's not forget he had no qualms about wanting to kill Dante) for the mob, and the fact that Emma was traumatized over Sonny shooting Robin in front of her should (as Patrick pointed out when Kristina needed surgery because of a spinal issue she had due to the car bomb that her father planted months prior) should mean that Anna and Robert should never, ever want to be on the same side as Sonny and Jason. I recall people pointing out that it was a bit excessive that the show had her stab and shove him off the balcony, although it's also clear from the early scenes of Luis Alcazar's death that Guza had no idea who the culprit was supposed to be because Alexis was one of the people who stumbled upon his body and was shocked to see him dead (which isn't a surprise if you recall any of his 'who did it' mysteries, similar to how Zander was retroactively made responsible for burning down the PC Hotel even though we saw the poor wiring that Edward refused to update cause the fire without any person starting a fire).

Funny enough Lorenzo is one of the people who was never put in Pine Barrens; it was implied he was dropped in the water during the TMK storyline, although Jason also told Carly there was the possibility Lorenzo was alive (presumably because Lorenzo is smarter than Sonny, Jason, and Carly). Johnny O'Brien, on the other hand, may be in the Pine Barrens. They should let Jason rot in prison. The whole mystery of Tomas Delgado vanishing when Carly came to town (which is the reaction anyone should have) suggests that Lorenzo Alcazar is alive. As much as I enjoyed the character I don't think he would fare well considering how Sonny and Jason are still elevated above the rest of the populace (just look at how everyone is coming together to rescue the Holy Hitman because of the one murder he didn't commit), and I know TK found it vexing that the writers kept pushing Lorenzo to be an antagonist against Sonny even when it didn't make any sense within the storyline.

Coleman started to pay protection money when Jason took over the business from Sonny when Sonny decided to date his stepson Juan's ex-girlfriend (the one who he gave the 'sex talk' to with Carly, which didn't stop Guza from moving ahead with a storyline that was more than a little creepy and was bad enough that the network eventually put a halt to it). Todd also bought one of Sonny's guns and wanted to murder him at court with it when RC initially took the reigns of the show (so during the RC era guns was indicated to be one of Sonny's businesses). Sadly, Todd didn't shoot Sonny. 😞

Oh yeah, when Zander wasn't white, like with OLTL's Blair and GH's Sage Alcazar. While Chad is a fantastic actor (and I hated how he was thrown under the bus during his exit from the show, although it's typical for any character who opposes Sonny and Jason), I do hate how soaps flippantly recast characters of color with white actors. While the writing was nothing to write about, another actor may have been able to do a better job (I think Ric Lansing is a good example of an actor reaching through despite working with subpar material and getting a fanbase in spite of the writing). Juan reminds me that there was also this tendency from Guza to have the younger men wanting to join a mob or being part of the mob, like with Juan, Zander, Dillion, and Ethan. Which has thankfully not carried over to the same extent.

If Sam and Dante does become a thing, I wonder if the fact that Sam used to date Sonny (and even had his child) will be addressed. It was weird when the show tried going down that route with Brenda and Dante eons ago.

One could argue that it's an example of Carly's obsession with Jason as Franco was thought to be his twin (at the time) and the dissolution of their relationship started after it was revealed that he wasn't actually Jason's twin. Had the writing been better and if there had actually been a real plan this could have been explored (similar to how Sonny's romantic involvement with women seems to lead those women to losing their grip on reality but the show never calls attention to this), but nevertheless Carly's selfishness and her willingness to warp reality is fairly in-character.

Lorenzo Alcazar would be the one character who isn't there since Jason told Carly (during the TMK storyline) that Lorenzo could be alive (I'll say that Lorenzo outsmarting Sonny and Jason would make sense), Diego thought Jason dumped Lorenzo under a bridge during the TMK storyline, and Carly & Skye suspected that Tomas was really Lorenzo. I'll always be a tiny bit grateful that it seemed like Lorenzo was able to escape the cesspool of Sonny and Jason worship that has dominated PC for decades, unlike Zander and some others who suffered for not being Sonny and Jason (especially under Guza). And to be entirely fair, Jason's screwups with Original Recipe Franco were pretty sloppy considering how he kept popping back up alive despite Jason 'killing' him more than once.

I think the issues could have easily been avoided by never making RH Franco in the first place, given the criticisms over Original Recipe Franco (and there were many when James Franco was playing him) and how RC did a terrible job of trying with his redemption story (first, saying they had the 'wrong idea' by playing videos, and then doing the tumor story some time after that, which came across like RC was throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the issue rather than having a cohesive vision). I do get how some like how Liz isn't embroiled in an asinine love triangle like in the past (where she was often on the losing end once everything was said and done), but it was such an odd creative choice to make when the original Franco wasn't even universally well-received by fans, and it just felt like RC wanted to have an iteration of Todd on the show, but without working towards the years of development that made fans gravitate to that character (RC liked to take shortcuts rather than putting in the work in the storyline, which hurt other characters as well, like TK's Tomas Delgado). That said, I could do without Cameron killing anyone, except perhaps Jason over what was done to Zander, but given how this show overlooks such things I doubt it'll ever happen (even if it did come up), and it's also why I never want Lila Rae Alcazar coming onto the show because they would turn her into an acolyte of the people who tried to kill her father because of a war Jason started with him.

TR brought up the "bargain basement criminals" 🤠 dominating the show a couple of years back so he seems the type to speak his mind, regardless of the potential ramifications with TPTB or fans. And the criticism against LWB seems to be pretty widespread given the reactions to some of the articles covering what TR said about Peter (or the responses to the recent episodes themselves), so most fans seem to be pretty much onboard with what he's saying. Considering other plots that dangled even when fans weren't in tune with the decisions (something that past regimes have done, especially Guza), I could see TPTB keeping with it unless it becomes bad enough that the network intervenes.

Unfortunately, and the show continues with that awful trend through different regimes. I remember a fan fic that once touched on trying to fix both Stefan's last OOC appearance and Zander's villainous turn, having it that Zander was actually working for Mac (saying he recognized he screwed up and now wanted to be a hero to his unborn child), and kept filling Mac in with explanations for the things he'd done on an unofficial basis, since Mac wanted to figure out who the cops were who were working with Faith. It does make me think that trying to rectify some of the damage done by Guza isn't necessarily impossible, although you'd need writers who care enough to do it.

That's actually come up years prior to the memoir, except what I read was that Labine shut down MB from playing Sonny as Italian every time he kept doing it, rather than MB's apparent version of everyone falling over themselves to accommodate him like he was the Second Coming of Jaysus. I wonder how much other moments of 'artistic license' are interwoven in there. I'm surprised at the other comment I read from you that he acknowledges being a jerk at times (even if it was in the sense of being the greatest mentor to ever mentor). Out of curiosity, is the infamous jacket issue (from when TK was playing Lorenzo Alcazar and wore one, and therefore Sonny had to have one, too) brought up in the memoir? It looks like Sonny, Jason, and Carly are still dominant on the show and everyone has to cater to them, one way or another, although to my surprise there does seem to be a bit more diversity than there used to be a few years ago (although the LGBT characters unfortunately still seem to be in the proverbial closet), and another (seemingly boring) custody battle involving Michael (after the dud with Sabrina's baby and the temporary time Michael had a backbone with little AJ).