Episode Discussion: TFGH

[Cattitude]

Cattitude, I understand what youre saying. But my problem with your reasoning is that Sonny didn't raise Dante. Dante didn't even know about Sonny being his father until after Sonny shot him point blank in the chest. And they haven't been particularly close at all. So there should be no loyalty.

 

I also understand what you're saying but by the same token then Dante isn't really Michael's brother so why should he care that much about Michael's point of view either.

 

So if Dante thinks of Michael as his brother he also sees Sonny as his father.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Cattitude

[Perkie]

 

In my case, it doesn't help that I remember Dante's reaction to AJ back when he first returne

In Dante's defence he didn't know AJ, had no previous relationship with him, and his knowledge was only what everyone (Sonny, Carly, Michael in the beginning) was feeding him.  On paper, AJ doesn't come across that great.  He did kidnapp Michael, Morgan and Kristina and make everyone think they were dead.  Then faked a death and ran off to Europe to hide out.  

 

Disclaimer:  I despise Sonny with the heat of a thousand suns and am am a gigantic AJ fan (loved Billy Warlock's version though hated the show's need to make him a scapegoat for everything.  Loved Sean's version and hated how Ron ended it).  

[TeeVee329]

All I want is some kind of balance.  Give me a scene of Michael bonding with a Quartermaine or Monica letting loose on Carly or something.  I don't know how much longer I can take this nonstop parade of proppers.  And no, Dante's not exactly leading it, but he's still marching to the same beat.

[ulkis]

In my case, it doesn't help that I remember Dante's reaction to AJ back when he first returned. He was far from neutral, calling him a loser and the like, and basically ordering Michael to stay away from him.

I agree but I thought it was pretty out of character so it's easier for me to get past - if anything, he should have been able to relate - but obviously I can understand why others can't.

I do think it's no excuse for him he took his cue about AJ from Sonny and Carly. He should know better than to trust their opinion.

Edited January 21, 2015 by ulkis

[Tiger]

 

 

Sonny's son is an asshole.

 

I love Lulu's husband, Olivia's son, Nathan's partner, Anna's fuckbuddy, Michael's brother, and Rocco's father.

 

I HATE Sonny's son.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Tiger

[TeeVee329]

I do think it's no excuse for him he took his cue about AJ from Sonny and Carly. He should now better than to trust their opinion.

 

Seriously, when Carly got her claws in his childhood friend, she prostituted herself.  He shouldn't trust her as far as Alice could throw her.

[dubbel zout]

Why he doesn't roll his eyes every time he sees her is a question for the ages.

[ulkis]

Tis. I don't think he does trust her - but he's waaaay too nice to her. I'm happy too the Lulu/Carly Buddy Express Train never really got back on track.

[OnceSane]

I'm still trying to think of how Lucas could say A.J. was responsible for his own shooting and all I can come back to is fat.

Yup. If he wasn't so fat, he could have dove out of the way of the bullet.

 

I wonder how stupid Kelly and Jason felt filming that ridiculous shower nonsense.  The dialogue would have been cringeworthy enough if they had to actually ACT it out....Just saying it had to be a riot.  I would pay to see what they were actually doing while reciting all of that.

I hope they were playing "Go Fish".

Can you explain the reference, I don't get it. Thanks!

"Indictment Mary" is supposed to be a play on/pun for "Typhoid Mary".

[Turtle]

I really enjoyed the Johnny and Maxie scenes.  I thought they were cute.  The way he kept looking at her, like he couldn't get enough of her, was hot.  But then, I have always been a huge fan of Johnny, and I think BB is great at conveying actual feelings with just his facial expressions.  And I don't think I'd mind at all if Johnny and Maxie got together, but I do wish he'd get away from the criminal life. 

 

I loved the Johnny/Maxie scenes, couldn't help it.  Both BB and KS were looking at each other like they wanted to each the other up with a spoon.  So much chemistry, so much pretty, so natural and just fabulous together.   *sigh*    Why can't I have nice things?

 

I am 100% with you on all of this.  

 

I can't even with Jakeson and Helena. First she recaps the conversation they had yesterday, then he flashes back to the conversation they had yesterday. We get it Ron, he's supposed to kill both Sam and Patrick. Yeesh, I guess the brainwashing made Jason as ineffectual as Shawn.

 

 

All these flashbacks are reminding me of B&B, which I started watching just to see SK.  I would be perfectly happy, nay, thrilled if Jake never became a hitman again.

[tvgoddess]

 

Awwww, Lulu and Olivia were really sweet and funny.

 

Holy crap, the awkwardness of the discussion though! I mean, thank god Olivia finally brought it up because all I could think was how she had to be telling herself not to let it show that Johnny was the best sex she ever had. When you have slept with the same person as your mother-in-law, and then have these kinds of heart to hearts, the elephant doesn't begin to cover it. But I also agree that they were sweet (I totally buy their relationship, in that Olivia thinks of her as a daughter) and I thought the whole Julian confession was hilarious. LLC does such a good job with that kind of comedy, and Emme was cute with it too.

 

Lots of UCG in this episode. That shower conversation was...wow. I mean, it kind of cracked me up so in that respect it was good. I bet KeMo and JT had a blast filming it. And Jake is such a creeper. I would have really cracked up if Sam had said, "god, you're much better in bed than Jason was".

 

Well, not only is Sonny not suffering, he's having the time of his life. Seriously, that's pretty much what he said today. His little snarky one-liners and everything else just shows that he isn't broken up at all and could give a damn less about Michael. Which in a way I understand, because I could give a damn less about Michael, but still. You killed a man in cold blood. At least pretend to be remorseful.

 

I'm sorry, I thought Dante's apology was sweet. I liked the flowers, I wouldn't care what the hell kind they were. And when Lulu said "they're pretty", and he said "not as pretty as you"? Awwwwwwww. That's the kind of sweet I like. This Naxie crap is too over the top. They're just too damn sugary, all the damn time.

 

I would have liked Dante and Nathan's conversation much better if they had been discussing how to get out of work to go screw Anna. 

 

Helena and Fluke? I'm sorry, I must have dozed off.

 

And now, my UO so I'm getting in my protective bubble - I didn't have a problem with what Dante said about AJ, only because he spoke to me. He didn't know him, he didn't mean anything to him, although he meant a lot to his brother (and other people). Finally, someone who speaks my same language. I feel like I'm the only person who just doesn't give a crap about AJ. To me, he was good for only one thing -hatefucking Carly. Otherwise, meh.

[Tiger]

Tis. I don't think he does trust her - but he's waaaay too nice to her. I'm happy too the Lulu/Carly Buddy Express Train never really got back on track.

 

When he was listing people he'd be okay with Lulu going into business with, I love the way he said "even Carly", as if to say 'Carly may be a gold-digging wanna-be pimp selfish succubus, but at least she's not a killer or in the mob'.

[ulkis]

I'm sorry, I thought Dante's apology was sweet. I liked the flowers, I wouldn't care what the hell kind they were. And when Lulu said "they're pretty", and he said "not as pretty as you"? Awwwwwwww. That's the kind of sweet I like. This Naxie crap is too over the top. They're just too damn sugary, all the damn time.

And now, my UO so I'm getting in my protective bubble - I didn't have a problem with what Dante said about AJ, only because he spoke to me. He didn't know him, he didn't mean anything to him, although he meant a lot to his brother (and other people). Finally, someone who speaks my same language. I feel like I'm the only person who just doesn't give a crap about AJ. To me, he was good for only one thing -hatefucking Carly. Otherwise, meh.

Yeah, I actually quite liked the way ER delivered "they're pretty."

Yeah IA about pretty much everything you said about AJ. I just am annoyed because it was so one sided, the writing with him. Even when I don't care about a character it's annoying.

Unless it's Franco maybe.

Edited January 21, 2015 by ulkis

[LegalParrot81]

I just hate that, once again, everyone's absolving Sonny and making Mikey the bad guy.  So tired of "Sonny's really the victim" set ups.  Also, I think Sonny making any comments about Bill is hysterical.  I don't think the characters ever shared a scene together.  

[Sake614]

I love Sonny's logic that Fluke is after him because he had dealings with Frank Smith. If Fluke is really Bill -- of which I'm no longer certain-- Why would he give a damn about Sonny?

[dubbel zout]

He didn't know him, he didn't mean anything to him, although he meant a lot to his brother (and other people). Finally, someone who speaks my same language. I feel like I'm the only person who just doesn't give a crap about AJ.

 

Dante doesn't have to care about AJ, but he doesn't have to slag him, either. Why not just be bummed that Michael's upset and leave it at that? I think Dante would be, if Ron weren't so insistent on making AJ the worst person who ever lived in Port Charles.

[tvgoddess]

 

Dante doesn't have to care about AJ, but he doesn't have to slag him, either. Why not just be bummed that Michael's upset and leave it at that? I think Dante would be, if Ron weren't so insistent on making AJ the worst person who ever lived in Port Charles.

 

Oh Ron obviously hates AJ, so he's determined to write that everyone else should too. Not surprising at all, unfortunately.

[sometimesfan]

Since I had the 'privilege' of being part of an OLTL focus group once, I absolutely believe this. The moderator asks the questions in such a way to elicit the answers the network wants to hear. And if you bring up a point that is contrary to what they're pushing, they dismiss you out of hand and steer the conversation back.

 

Those were good times...;)

[nilyank]

 

I love Sonny's logic that Fluke is after him because he had dealings with Frank Smith. If Fluke is really Bill -- of which I'm no longer certain-- Why would he give a damn about Sonny?

 

Bill was killed way before Sonny showed up in Port Charles running the strip club and then working for Frank Smith. Sonny didn't know why Bill would want to get back at him but his logic makes as much as sense as Ron will when he finally reveals Fluke and why he went after Sonny.

[sometimesfan]

But like I said - and obviously this is only my opinion/impression of the dialogue - I didn't get that impression he was saying it was ambiguous at all. He was saying he understood how a man can give into the temptation of killing someone, even when that killing is not remotely justified.

 

And that's my last post on the subject, I promise. :) At least until tomorrow.

 

I just had the feeling that Dante saying he could see why a man would give into killing somebody is setting him up to be suspected of murder.

[ulkis]

Oh Ron obviously hates AJ, so he's determined to write that everyone else should too. Not surprising at all, unfortunately.

 

I don't think Ron hates AJ, I think he hates Sean Kanan. He's ridiculous because like I said before if he really wanted to "get back" at SK - he would recast. Not that SK gives a shit, because Ron doesn't really guys like Stamos, Wagner, Kanan, etc, at the end of the day get over their annoyance and move on. He's the only one paying attention.

Edited January 21, 2015 by ulkis

[Turtle]

And now, my UO so I'm getting in my protective bubble - I didn't have a problem with what Dante said about AJ, only because he spoke to me. He didn't know him, he didn't mean anything to him, although he meant a lot to his brother (and other people). Finally, someone who speaks my same language. I feel like I'm the only person who just doesn't give a crap about AJ. To me, he was good for only one thing -hatefucking Carly. Otherwise, meh.​

 

I didn't have too much of a problem with what Dante said but for an entirely different reason.  He said that he could understand the urge in the moment to shoot someone that you hate, but he also said that thinking it and doing it are two entirely different things, and that Sonny belongs in jail.  He had just come from a really heated discussion with someone that he thinks is dangerous for his wife to be around, and that someone was taunting the shit out of him - he was furious.  I saw it more as the way a lot of us say "I am going to kill her!" when we don't actually intend to kill her, but we're just that mad.  Hyperbole, I thought. 

[TeeVee329]

I don't even know if it's about Ron hating AJ or Sean Kanan or whatever.  I think it comes down to what jsbt so elegantly said earlier today - Ron writes characters to do shocking things that land them in irredeemable holes so he can build to these big "watercooler" moments, but he doesn't actually want to deal with the mess of the fallout, instead just trying to sweep everything under the status quo rug as quickly as possible.

 

Ron is Tea Delgado.  He just wants you to shut up and agree with him.

Edited January 21, 2015 by TeeVee329

[Tiger]

Bill was killed way before Sonny showed up in Port Charles running the strip club and then working for Frank Smith. Sonny didn't know why Bill would want to get back at him but his logic makes as much as sense as Ron will when he finally reveals Fluke and why he went after Sonny.

 

According to Wikipedia, Sonny showed up in Aug and Bill died that November.  Today Sonny himself said they never crossed paths, but I do think the Frank Smith thing works.  Sonny took over the territory that Bill thought should have been his.  

 

That said, today convinced me more than ever that Fluke is not Bill.  

[ulkis]

I don't even know if it's about Ron hating AJ or Sean Kanan or whatever.  I think it comes down to what jsbt so elegantly said earlier today - Ron writes characters to do shocking things that land them in irredeemable holes so he can build to these big "watercooler" moments, but he doesn't actually want to deal with the mess of the fallout, instead just trying to sweep everything under the status quo rug as quickly as possible.

 

Ron is Tea Delgado.  He just wants you to shut up and agree with him.

 

I believe he actually said that flat out didn't he? He said it bothered him when people were still saying Franco had Michael raped because he specifically wrote it that Franco actually did in fact not have him raped.

 

Sorry Ron. Sometimes there are retcons you just can't force. Well you can, but then you get fucking cancelled.

 

Well, not only is Sonny not suffering, he's having the time of his life.

 

Maybe it means he'll want to stay in prison forever!!! Excuse me, I have to go ride away on my many ponies.

Edited January 21, 2015 by ulkis

[dubbel zout]

He can retcon all he wants, but I don't have to accept them.

[jsbt]

I don't even know if it's about Ron hating AJ or Sean Kanan or whatever.  I think it comes down to what jsbt so elegantly said earlier today - Ron writes characters to do shocking things that land them in irredeemable holes so he can build to these big "watercooler" moments, but he doesn't actually want to deal with the mess of the fallout, instead just trying to sweep everything under the status quo rug as quickly as possible.

 

Ron is Tea Delgado.  He just wants you to shut up and agree with him.

 

And I mean, honestly - they could have done this whole story without killing A.J. Sonny shoots and wounds him, puts him in a coma off the show in some sanitarium in Europe. Whatever, it's the same story, except Sonny hasn't killed Michael's father and he can come out of that hole much more easily. Why do this if not for the shock value, and possibly resentment re: the actor? They didn't have to do the Todd/Marty rapemance story on OLTL the way they did, either. Up to the day it aired I did not believe they would go through with him raping her again - I thought he might fall for her as part of some mental breakdown but that it would not go that far. But they did it, and they staged it as an intimate love scene, and why? Because Ron was so into his grand idea and was into the big moment. And then he had no idea what to do next, and he blamed it on the viewers until such time, three years later, when he had to physically bring in a second Todd to prove that the original character had not done it after all, and that the other one who'd done it had been brainwashed, and sweep it all under the rug and render all that moot, because he knew by then that it was a character-killer. He had to know he'd fucked up. But he'll never admit it.

 

I'm still half-convinced they will eventually reveal that A.J. is in fact alive and in a coma somewhere in the care of the Legion of Doom, just like the previously off-camera Frozen Jason - that that will be their escape hatch for Sonny. And I'll bet they didn't come up with it in the first place, and that they're responding to the fan reaction. And that's fine if they do, but it still doesn't make any of this any less sad. If you want the audience to forgive a character, don't have him do irredeemable things and then act like the burden is on the audience to reconcile it when the writers clearly have no ability to reconcile it themselves. It's their job, it's not mine.

Edited January 21, 2015 by jsbt

[SlovakPrincess]

And I mean, honestly - they could have done this whole story without killing A.J. Sonny shoots and wounds him, puts him in a coma off the show in some sanitarium in Europe.

 

 

That would have been so much more satisfying -- have A.J. in a coma and everyone thinks he'll never recover.  Meanwhile, Sonny goes to jail for attempted murder.  Then, A.J. awakens from his coma after Monica talks to his lifeless body in the hospital, saying "at least that bastard Sonny is in jail!  May he rot there!"  

 

A.J. begins a long recovery that involves lots of quality time with Michael.  He gets a snazzy wheelchair for a while and chases Carly around, taunting her because her reputation is shot to hell and Sonny is behind bars.  Then he gets control of her hotel.

 

Then A.J. goes to the prison to taunt Sonny.  When Sonny inevitably gets a shortened sentence somehow, when the show gets tired of using the prison set, the audience feels better about it because A.J. got a big win, anyway.   Sonny fans can still feel good about it, too, because A.J. lived.  

Edited January 21, 2015 by SlovakPrincess

[Chairperson Meow]

Jsbt, you just gave away the "surprise " ending to Ron's Fan February extravaganza.

AJ will be played by Headless Q. Man in a bed. The LoD might have put him on a DIET so when he's like Not Fat then Sonny can be praised for DeFattening The AJ too. What's that? The sound of doves crying because we get AJ alive. Which is great, but....you know.

[TeeVee329]

It's the audience blaming that drives me nuts.  And I think it started with VicTodd and the rapemance, because I really don't think Ron was expecting the pushback he got.  So now he goes on the offensive.  "Franco is totally redeemed, shut up."  "AJ is a fat loser who deserved it, shut up."  "Kiki is the coolest chick on the block, shut up."

 

I mean, he's allowed his own interpretation, but his screams that everyone who doesn't share his interpretation is WRONG bugs the hell out of me.

Edited January 21, 2015 by TeeVee329

[Chairperson Meow]

Ron didn't get enough hugs as a kid. I also recall his being baffled as to why did we not like Ford and whomever Jessica was that week/day. It was on par with why is Franco. Except everyone loved Ford. Ron also wonders why do we not like Spencer. Because we don't like you, Ron.

[ulkis]

Ron also wonders why do we not like Spencer. Because we don't like you, Ron.

 

 

 

If Ron wrote well I wouldn't care what his personality was like, honestly.

Edited January 21, 2015 by ulkis

[jsbt]

It's also the dismissive attitude that anyone who criticizes this is too negative or pedantic. We're not being pedantic - these big stories with characters like these are about cold-blooded, unjust murder and rape, for the characters you're presenting as sympathetic leads. This "oh, they're the antiheroes" line doesn't sell well after decades of Sonny in the lead as a protagonist on the show. Yes, he's an antihero but he's one you clearly expect us to root for and sympathize with, and are now pushing us (and Michael) to forgive. Why should anyone do that? I have rooted for Sonny many times in the past, I'm still happy to root for him against, say, Franco. But over this? No.

Edited January 21, 2015 by jsbt

[TeeVee329]

And again, how are we, the audience, supposed to forgive Carly for her actions when she's NOT SORRY?

[jsbt]

Like, if she'd said it once - 'maybe we were wrong about A.J., maybe we pushed too hard; they formed a healthy relationship we weren't part of and we were threatened and resentful of that' - if Carly or Sonny said that, and felt remorse over A.J. I could try to forgive some of this. But they don't and won't. And the show doesn't seem to want them to. What upsets me is that the show seems to endorse Carly and Sonny and their missing the point. They pay lip service to the longtime audience's take on the issue by having Michael verbalize it, but in the end it always comes back to 'Michael is being too harsh and lashing out, Sonny and Carly just wanted to spare his feelings after they betrayed his trust.' You didn't just betray his trust, you killed an innocent man who did not deserve it! Say it once!

[SlovakPrincess]

I'm not even sure the writers care at this point if we sympathize with anyone.  They can't possibly.  

 

It's just like: "here's a whiny serial killer, some cold blooded murderers, a bunch of mobsters, this old freaky lady who refuses to die, this fake Luke person or whatever, an obviously insane person running a hospital ... oh, and this other crazy lady who ripped a baby out of someone else ... a bunch of other assholes, some nice normal people we've decided to write as clueless and boring .... [shrug] ... 'kay, thanks, bye!  See you for tomorrow's episode!"

[ulkis]

I mean, I'll give Sonny that, I think he did say it more than once.

 

I would at the very LEAST, like Carly to say to someone, "well I did what I did because I thought it was for the best but I'll wait here for however long it takes to get over his anger and not pressure him because I can understand why he's angry." She can't even do that, it's just "well, it's been two months now. You aren't STILL holding that grudge, right?"

It's just like: "here's a whiny serial killer, some cold blooded murderers, a bunch of mobsters, this old freaky lady who refuses to die, this fake Luke person or whatever, an obviously insane person running a hospital 

 

I'll give this to Ron, I feel like it's been at least a month since we saw Obrecht. Christmas? It's like even he realized O. holding Nathan's hand and singing a damn carol was officially too much.

[loveigniting]

Since I had the 'privilege' of being part of an OLTL focus group once, I absolutely believe this. The moderator asks the questions in such a way to elicit the answers the network wants to hear. And if you bring up a point that is contrary to what they're pushing, they dismiss you out of hand and steer the conversation back.

 

I was part of a GH focus group in...2008 or 2009 and it was the same. Soon, you realize it's pointless. They don't actually want the feedback you give them unless it's in line with what they're already pushing. So, I'm sure Carly and Franco had 'focus group support' rme.

 

Edit: Ohhh it was around the toxic balls and Robin putting Emma in a tree storylines so whenever that was. My snark on both didn't gain me any ground with the mods of that group, I'm afraid.

Edited January 21, 2015 by loveigniting

[Lillybee]

I still say that Fluke is one of Luke's DID personalities with a little brainwashing by Helena thrown in.

[OhIKnow]

You know what, show? You've now gone too far. You had Nathan eat a burger WITH the bun, fries AND drink a milkshake? Do you really think we believe a guy with that body eats carbs?! COME ON!!!!

 

I didn't hate the Johnny/Maxie scenes and I smiled at the Harper reference. It was cute. Kirsten played it right.

 

I agree- Olivia and Lulu can never break up. 

 

As for the rest.. meh. 

[HeatLifer]

Lololol. Jason passed out. And the tears. I actually feel bad for the guy for the first time in yeaaaaars.

I wonder if he's going to go back to remembering nothing or if he'll still have flashes. He had full-on convo with Robin, while he still can't really put a face with Sam or himself in those other visions. So would a pic of Robin trigger something down the line? Hmm.

[CPP83]

Sorry Ron. Sometimes there are retcons you just can't force. Well you can, but then you get fucking cancelled.

 

 

 

 

The day that idiot would ever throw in the towel and admit such to us and to himself, imo, is the day he'd flat out quit first. Which is why a cancellation may be the only merciful way to spare this show before he fully decimates it.

 

Ron seems to be of the opinion that whatever the writers' come up with, especially he as the head writer, that's all the audience needs to concern themselves with.

 

It doesn't matter if a past storyline, yet again, gets twisted up and flipped around and gutted. It shouldn't matter if a character that has over a decade or more of time on a show is suddenly being written OOC without any regard to past history, past relationships, past dealings and doings. We're only supposed to follow the show in the here and now, to accept whatever the current "vision" is without question and not give a damn when it clashes horribly with what we know to be true.

 

I think Ron feels as if he can just wipe the slate clean whenever he bloody well feels like it and start over again. He reboots at will, sometimes right in the middle of a failing storyline. Suddenly someone didn't die or they did, suddenly someone was wearing the most perfectly created mask in the history of the world, suddenly someone has amnesia, suddenly someone's brainwashed, suddenly someone is being kidnapped or held hostage/prisoner.

 

I've lost count how many times the notLuke nonsense has probably been reworked, but still Ron refuses to just accept defeat, clean up the mess as quickly and neatly as possible and just move on.

 

No, instead this guy decides to dig up the forgotten about for a reason other Spencer sister "Pat" just to give himself even more time to keep dragging everything out, to keep us all "guessing". 

 

And as far as Michael and his parents are concerned, Ron is going to pull Jason into that mess as soon as he possibly can. I don't see him sitting on his hands with that. He seems eager to play with his "new toy" and to give him as many playmates as possible. Frankly I believe that a major reason for driving such a wedge

 between Michael and Carly and Sonny in the first place was because Ron wanted Jason to swoop in and fix everything. He keeps having everyone heap praise on his shoulders like he was/is PC's Patron Saint.

 

Ron just doesn't know when to let things go, imho, and he also doesn't know how to "fix" things when they're obviously going wrong or when enough is finally enough. When something isn't working he apparently thinks that all he needs to do is give us a reason to believe otherwise, and that's when his pathetic attempts at retcons come into play normally.

 

Forgive the serial killer, he had a tumour and no friends, don't mind the murdering mobster getting another free pass as usual because he may just end up saving the whole town, forget how the vets have been shoved over for the characters that he personally came up with, who needs Monica and Mac when Spencer and Dr. O are readily at hand.

Edited January 21, 2015 by CPP83

[LeftPhalange]

Finally, someone who speaks my same language. I feel like I'm the only person who just doesn't give a crap about AJ. To me, he was good for only one thing -hatefucking Carly. Otherwise, meh.

 

 

 

I don't really care about AJ. The first time I ever saw him was when he came back in 2012 and I don't think he was around long enough for me to decide how I felt about him. I mean, he was alright, but he put stalker nurse up on a pedestal way too much for my liking, and those panic attacks were very annoying. The only time I ever really paid attention to him was when he was in scenes with Carly, otherwise he was just...there. And I feel like at least 80% of his bonding with Michael happened off screen, which makes it hard for me to believe Michael grew to love him like a second father.

Edited January 21, 2015 by LeftPhalange

[SlovakPrincess]

I wasn't necessarily that attached to AJ, either. I wouldn't have brought so many people back from the dead in the first place, but once AJ was back, I liked the idea of him and thought he had a lot of potential.

Good storytelling is good storytelling, and there's a lot more mileage in AJ living but terribly injured ... especially since Sonny is inevitably going to get out of jail soon.

Soap characters serving laughably short prison terms for attempted murder - rather than actual murder - is easier to suspend disbelief over.

And Michael would have more to do - in addition to telling Carly to go pound sand, he could be helping Monica take care of injured AJ. AJ and Michael could plot financial ruin of Sonny together ... Y'know, heartwarming father/son stuff. ;)

[Chairperson Meow]

SK did a good job with a shit sandwich imo. He came back to cool material- he got to basically apologize to his mom for all the Guza crap, talk to Micheal and truth tell, have scenes with Ghost Alan (in best use of a Ghost), confront Carly/Sonny in a jail cell, and then it went downhill from him being latched onto Liz and Jason's history as opposed to getting to know why was he having anxiety, working with Tracy, showing rather than telling, and having scenes of SK and KeMo who had lovely chemistry whether it be antagonistic or whatever. AJ has purpose beyond plot point.

[Harmony233]

I was more of an AJ fan under BW however I've been sick for over a decade of AJ being blamed for everythin under the sun  when Carly and sonny pay for nothing.I'm still pissed even after all these years that carly never paid for drugging AJ.I mean has anybody told poor Monica there sorry for her loss? Nope all we hear is how bad sonny and carly have it.

[Mrs. Stanwyck]

 

 

And as far as Michael and his parents are concerned, Ron is going to pull Jason into that mess as soon as he possibly can. I don't see him sitting on his hands with that. He seems eager to play with his "new toy" and to give him as many playmates as possible. Frankly I believe that a major reason for driving such a wedge

between Michael and Carly and Sonny in the first place was because Ron wanted Jason to swoop in and fix everything. He keeps having everyone heap praise on his shoulders like he was/is PC's Patron Saint.

 

I know this is probably exactly what will happen but I would be so grateful if it didn't.  There were a couple of times (I think in conversations with Robin and at least one at AJ's grave at the Quartermaine crypt) where Jason acknowledged that stealing Michael from AJ was wrong and that Michael suffered for it.  Jason apologized to AJ's grave.  When he gets his memories back and Michael plays him the recording of AJ begging Sonny not to kill him, I hope that Jason affirms Michael's decision to cut out his parents.  Jason cut out his parents for significantly less.  Old Jason was all about respecting people's decisions and not telling them what to do; as much as I don't want old Jason back, I would be okay with this trait making a comeback in relation to Michael's decision.  

 

Since everyone expects Jason to bring Michael back to Sonny and Carly, maybe Ron will do the opposite and have Jason fuel Michael's hate.  It would be a nice twist.

[jsbt]

I must have missed those scenes. I'm glad they did them, if so.

 

I was very attached to A.J., particularly Sean Kanan's. He fit right back in and did so well with Chad Duell, Becky, JE and Leslie and so many people at the show. To say nothing of his chemistry with Laura Wright. I also loved when they had both Brenda and Robin embrace his return. The guy may be a blowhard IRL and his politics are definitely not mine, but he has a very specific chemistry on daytime and always has.

Edited January 21, 2015 by jsbt

[ch1]

Maybe Jason will realize the laundry list of horrible things that have happened to Michael thanks to the 3 stooges and realize that Michael being caused pain by them will never change and he would be better off cutting them off.

 

When it comes to AJ, everyone can take or leave characters.  What would have been nice IMO is that the writers and EP who went out of their way to bring him back had cared and not made AJ and his fans into Charlie Brown with Lucy and the football.

[TeeVee329]

I liked AJ (and I will forever mourn the potential of Quiz.  Man I really like him and Liz together and it irritates to no end how the writing keeps disavowing their connection as Jason grief or whatever), but I wasn't a diehard fan or anything.

 

But his return from the dead, and being able to form a relationship with Michael, was a sign for me that the show was finally changing, that it was finally moving away from a model where the Quartermaines were constantly shit on and where Sonny and Carly were always in the right. 

 

But then they killed him and dedicated the episode afterwards to Sonny and Carly's great love affair (gag) and now it's all, "Poor Sonny.  Poor Carly."  And you realize that actually nothing has changed.

Edited January 21, 2015 by TeeVee329