Episode Discussion: TFGH

[LeftPhalange]

 

ETA: NM I found it. RP is #3 and that cracked me up. Like honestly that is so embarrassing.

 

It's amazing that RP is #3 and yet Nathan still hasn't done much of anything.

[magnolia11]

It's amazing that RP is #3 and yet Nathan still hasn't done much of anything.

 

Except for having his shirt off in roughly 87% of the episodes in which he appeared.

[bagert]

Cut to fLuke:

They should have let Bill Eckert rest in peace.  That sonuvabitch has been dead all along.

 

 

Shouldn't "they" be referring to whomever stole Bill's body?  I mean, if his body was where it was supposed to be, then Bill could have been eliminated as a possibility for Fluke.

 

Yesterday, Ron Carlivati tweeted "The real Luke Spencer is currently in jail with Helena."  Should we take that with a grain of salt?

 

This morning, he tweeted, "No she said IF these remains are Luke, then he's been dead for decades. In other words, the remains are not Luke."  It may be that was what Olbrecht was supposed to say, but that's not what she actually said, according to the video.

[Chairperson Meow]

I both agree and disagree, jsbt. Maurice isn't Olivier, but he does still scarf down his fair share of screen time, and this story is meant to restore the status quo of "Sonny As Hero" to Port Charles. I will grant you that Franco and Nina are terrible failures as characters and should be set adrift on an ice floe, but saying that Sonny has a long history and roots on the show is exactly what's keeping him hanging around like herpes.

Sonny is the herpes of GH, while Franco and Nina are the icebergs tanking the Titanic this show has become. Yes. I'm so moved. You're a freaking poet.

[dubbel zout]

While I agree that the character of Sonny does have a long history on the show, I have to disagree about him not eating the show. 

GENERAL HOSPITAL 2014 Episode Count
251 Episodes

1.  Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) – 180

We hear about Sonny when we don't see him, and most of the plots come back to him somehow. 

[TeeVee329]

It may be that was what Olbrecht was supposed to say, but that's not what she actually said, according to the video.

 

Listening to it again, I heard her say, "If these are indeed Luke Spencer's remains...".  The first bit kinda gets swallowed up by the accent.

 

Man, that scene of Fluke laughing about everyone's theories about Fluke being wrong - way to show your contempt for the audience, Ron.

Edited February 8, 2015 by TeeVee329

[pitchy]

I think we're far from done. With this storyline I mean.  We're all at varying stages of being done with it all, though.

 

A person named Sierra posted on another forum the other day an EXCELLENT explanation of who the corpse in the basement was.

 

"It was actually a TV viewer who has been watching the Fluke story and waiting for an ending"

 

And, in the meantime, another commenter found amazing yesteryear video footage of Tony Geary lamenting  the handling of Bill Eckert back in the days when he was alive and saying that he, Tony Geary, was not through with Bill Eckert yet.  It's fascinating to see how openly disgusted he was with their characterization of Eckert as a bad father (he was Geary's favorite role) and how TPTB ended Eckert.

   

Edited February 8, 2015 by pitchy

[LegalParrot81]

 

Should we take that with a grain of salt?

 

And I'd make sure the was a giant margarita attached to that grain of salt.

[jsbt]

"It was actually a TV viewer who has been watching the Fluke story and waiting for an ending"

 

That's hilarious.

 

Not only is Morgan the biggest douchebag on Earth, he started in with "Mikey" again.

Edited February 8, 2015 by jsbt

[Cattitude]

Except for having his shirt off in roughly 87% of the episodes in which he appeared.

 

And there is NOTHING wrong with that.....what?

[jennifer6973]

Nope absolutely nothing wrong with that.

 

 

Think it could be worse Sonny could have his shirt off in almost 90% of his scenes.

 

 

 

****ridingtheIlikeRyanPaeveyandhisactingtrainthroughtoagreewithCatt****

[Lola16]

Listening to it again, I heard her say, "If these are indeed Luke Spencer's remains...".  The first bit kinda gets swallowed up by the accent.

 

Man, that scene of Fluke laughing about everyone's theories about Fluke being wrong - way to show your contempt for the audience, Ron.

I don't hear "if" but it does make more sense.

 

I do like the theory that the skeleton is a viewer waiting for this story to end.

[Rancide]

It's amazing that RP is #3 and yet Nathan still hasn't done much of anything.

 

I hadn't realized how completely unmemorable Nathan is until I saw those numbers.  I'll be the first to admit that being merely unmemorable equates to "better than average" on this show these days.  But, man.  How could anyone be on that much and still be such a void?  

[ulkis]

They should just go full Drake Hogestyn with the guy (aka just give major dramatic material to someone who can't act for shit. And DH just may be worse than RP.) Give him a shower scene where he cries, like on a certain other show! Let him have a speech in front of the whole town where he rages against how they're all hypocrites about wonderful Mommy Obrecht! Might as well have something to chuckle at.

[AgentRXS]

I think this show should just drop the pre-tense and go full 1960's Batman TV series that is clearly trying trying to emulate. I mean we have the earnest but stoopid Gotham/PCPD,  Luke and his stupid cigars with his EVUL plan to blow up the boat is clearly the Penguin, Helena's obviously Catwoman (currently on life 8 out of 9), Jerry Jax is the Riddler, and Ceaser's the Joker. I mean seriously, that scene with the governor, Ivy and Sonny was classic "Commissioner Gordon &wife praise Batman for his heroic efforts once again". So much so that I am honestly surprised that Ron didn't stunt cast Adam West as the Gov. as another one of his stupid in-jokes.

 

Anyday now, I am expecting sound and visual effects whenever Sonny and Shawn get into fistfights. I hate comparing my favorite superhero with the TV character I hate the most but it is what it is.

[jsbt]

The "Nikolas sided with Helena and Fluke" plot twist made no sense unless he was conning them the whole time. Since he wasn't, these scenes with Lulu are baffling. Poor Lulu is absolutely right. Nothing Nikolas has done makes sense, and having her say so does not fix the problem.

[ulkis]

I don't hear "if" but it does make more sense.

 

I do like the theory that the skeleton is a viewer waiting for this story to end.

 

So fresh! So meta! they should do it

 

I'll also take "Richard Simmons"

 

or "Blackie". I'm a little surprised RC didn't take an opportunity to make a petty jab there.

[pitchy]

Shouldn't "they" be referring to whomever stole Bill's body?  I mean, if his body was where it was supposed to be, then Bill could have been eliminated as a possibility for Fluke.

 

Yesterday, Ron Carlivati tweeted "The real Luke Spencer is currently in jail with Helena."  Should we take that with a grain of salt?

 

This morning, he tweeted, "No she said IF these remains are Luke, then he's been dead for decades. In other words, the remains are not Luke."  It may be that was what Olbrecht was supposed to say, but that's not what she actually said, according to the video.

 

Actually, she does say "If indeed these remains are Luke,  THEN  he's been dead for decades"  (which completes the "If...Then" clause).  It makes sense as a phrase when you hear her say it.  She elided the two syllables starting with 'i' ...  

 Later she refers to the owner of the bones as "The subject..." or something like that.

RC sounds frustrated that no one is believing his awful surprise (that had been predicted by forumners who felt he'd actually do this).

 

 

[33kaitykaity]

 

Look, I accept that Show wrote themselves into a few corners and are trying to reboot in an entertaining way.  I'm fully prepared and willing to be entertained.  I know that they are trying to set things up a little better, maybe throw in a few actual plot lines as opposed to reactions to plot points. I can only hope that Show understands they have jumped the shark by having half the cast in prison (which they all deserved, BTW) and needed a way to get their leads back at large.  I'm not even going to mention more than briefly that ludicrous jail break.  As if.  At least it WAS mostly entertaining and all the actors brought it.

This.  

 

So Ron came up with a brilliant deus ex machina -- a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved by the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability or object.-- for Sonny, the rescue of the governor's daughter leading to a full pardon.  And I totally fell for it and in the moment secretly cheered.  

 

And now that Fluke is behind bars, Julian can recant his false confession to Anthony's murder, time-served for the filing a false report and rejoin the crew in PC.  

 

I'm just surprised that no one is really talking about JaSam and NuJ's recovered memories.  That's another story that has seen too much winter molasses and the reveal that he's really Jason needs to just happen already.  

[P3pp3rb1rd]

I'm so sick of Luke's ranting and stomping. There was a point on Friday when his voice was like nails on a chalkboard for me, and I just wanted to get away from it. This weekend I decided I am not listening to any scenes that he is in, and I am not watching them. The show tries to discourage selective watching by cutting back and forth between conversations (extremely short scenes of one or two sentences), so they must know that we are cherry-picking which actors we are watching.

 

I've had a serious "Come to Jesus" talk with myself, and I think I may quit the show for similar reasons I had for quitting the View. Crazy-ass rude egos were ruining both shows for me, and the contempt the shows have for their audiences has been like acid dripping on my loyalty. So I may throw out the good with the bad, and (regretfully) walk away. Life is too short.

Edited February 8, 2015 by P3pp3rb1rd

[Chanandler]

So fresh! So meta! they should do it

I'll also take "Richard Simmons"

or "Blackie". I'm a little surprised RC didn't take an opportunity to make a petty jab there.

It's AJ! Oh, wait, no, the skeleton's too thin.

(Yeah, I know AJ hasn't been dead for 20 years - but maybe he was mummified in the Q crypt- or the grossness of the Sonny/Ava sex caused the corpse to shrivel. ...okay, I went for the cheap joke without thinking it through, guys. Just call me Scott Sickles.)

Edited February 8, 2015 by Chanandler

[RedRockRosie]

 

I do like the theory that the skeleton is a viewer waiting for this story to end.

 

This...times a million. And I'm pretty sure the skeleton doesn't care who Luke is or isn't anymore either.

[sometimesfan]

As I've been under the weather the last few days and pretty much hopped up on TheraFlu, I found myself having a non-LSD Franco trip, thinking way too much about Luke and Tony Geary. I realized in a moment of clarity that the only time I really liked Luke and thought Geary was any good was when he was alone for a few years while Laura was away for her own protection. He was at the height of his smart assiness when he realized Alexis was really Natasha and liked to needle her about it. His love interest was an off-screen Laura and it all worked for me.  Since then I have no use for him. The total rewrite of his character and of the LukeandLaura love story destroyed whatever it was about him that I liked.

 

I know it's an unpopular view, but if the show was just going to pull all this crap then they should have had a real remarriage and rekindling of Scotty and Laura, but somehow I doubt TG's ego would have allowed it. Why not just let the show come full circle and have Laura back in love with Scott? WTH! Give them a late in life baby to really piss off Geary. He just needs to go home to Amsterdam and count tulips.

Edited February 8, 2015 by sometimesfan

[Lola16]

That is totally confusing but would be par for the course of this NEVERENDING STORY!

 

That would make the skeleton Brian Williams career.  (I'll show myself out.)

[Lillybee]

I think that the patient that Silas spent the night could have been Ava and he is hiding her somewhere.

[DayPlayerAtKellys]

Just caught up on this weeks craptastic shows while on a business trip.

 

Geez, Ron can't wait to rub fans' noses in this 'brilliant' plot twist of Fluke is Luke.

 

But I do like the idea of Ava being Silas' patient.

 

Sadly, I am still holding on to one thin shred that this is still a show worth 5 hours of my time a week. However, I am confident that Ron and Frank will no doubt snuff that out for me fairly soon.

[jsbt]

If Laura gets back with punk-ass Scott one more time I will blow up my apartment just to destroy my TV. He has pulled so much shit over the last couple decades, he has kidnapped her and lied to her multiple times, terrorized her children, robbed the town, and yet he keeps shucking and jiving and going, "aw, jeez, Laura, that damned Spencer you were married to for twenty years and lived a full life and had children with just gets me so damn hot under the collar!" And she always goes, "oh, Scotty!"

 

I love Kin Shriner and I still sort of love Scott, in doses. But I hate him with Laura. Any time they have nothing for Laura to do they put her back with fucking Scott and she indulges him and his crazy bullshit again and again. It's ridiculous. It drives me insane. Let's not forget that the last time this happened they made her marry him in a courthouse hallway while poor Genie Francis got stuffed into a tablecloth.

 

 

There's that firing squad smile!

 

UO: I do not think Helena is as decrepit and unmenacing as everyone else, I think Connie Towers has still got it. That being said, should they ever need to replace her if she retires or (God forbid) passes, I don't think Helena should be retired and have come up with a gonzo solution that would kill the show.

Edited February 8, 2015 by jsbt

[Chairperson Meow]

I still like CT. I think she awakens the actors she works with. Helena needs a break from Ron's pen though.

[Turtle]

Still mad.  

[Aurora2]

JMB had bitchy resting face, and I think that came across as smug.  Oddly, I found her to be quite vulnerable, as opposed to smug.

 

 

I agree about JMB's "bitchy resting face" - especially with her mouth which naturally turned downward.  Just part of how her face was formed..  As well, I think that she was good at keeping Lulu in character and in the mood of the scene, episode or overall story - including when Lulu was living through dark periods in her life (as in a good part of 2011).  Doing so required that she couldn't show as much of  that beautiful smile which lit up many a GH scene for me.  Instead we were often left with sad, "resting face."    And we certainly didn't see a "perky Lulu" coming through in the cut to the next scene, something I saw far too much of when her successor first took over.  

 

And then Julie had that wonderfully aching vulnerability which was expressed many times in many ways - through a word, a look or through whole scenes and episodes.  I've missed that kind of vulnerability.  

[One Tough Cookie]

OK--am I the ONLY ONE who caught this?

 

Whn St. Sabrina was removing the bullet from Johnny's shoulder she didn't use anesthetic he was moaning "Ow ow ow, BOBBA BOOEY", as in the Howard Stern Bobba Booey????  Honest to God, I nearly wet myself laughing.  Rewound it three times just to make sure.

 

And to the poster upthread who described Mr. Ham and Cheese Geary as a Q Tip, I tip my hat to you.

Edited February 8, 2015 by One More Time

[tvgoddess]

 

But I do like the idea of Ava being Silas' patient.

 

I can't stand Silas, so this idea kind of fills me with disgust. I mean, it's certainly better than her not around at all, don't get me wrong. But I have absolutely no use for him as a character or as an actor so of course they put him with her for a new arc. Because this show really hates me.

 

I haven't commented on the Fluke stuff, mainly because I JUST DON'T CARE. Ron has sucked every bit of enjoyment out of watching, and I just want Fluke/Luke, this story, and Sonny to go far away for a little while.

[ulkis]

OK--am I the ONLY ONE who caught this?

 

Whn St. Sabrina was removing the bullet from Johnny's shoulder she didn't use anesthetic he was moaning "Ow ow ow, BOBBA BOOEY", as in the Howard Stern Bobba Booey????  Honest to God, I nearly wet myself laughing.  Rewound it three times just to make sure.

 

And to the poster upthread who described Mr. Ham and Cheese Geary as a Q Tip, I tip my hat to you.

 

I caught that, but I had no idea what it meant until I saw talk about it elsewhere. I do wonder if all these random sounds (babba booey, the cocka-doodle-doodling when he left prison) is Brandon ad-libbing or the script.

[General Days]

It's just surreal.  GH has no long term plots left at all, it's like a stream of consciousness, endlessly repeated conversations, and bizarre points of view.   GH has become one long acid trip.  The last two weeks kinda lurched along, from UCG moment to UCG moment and a whole lot of forward movement.  Everything is because...reasons. But thank goodness for the plot movement, because this shit is getting old.

 

 

 

What does "UCG" mean, above? When I was trying to figure it out from context, my brain hit upon Ubiquitous Crazy Geary and now I can't get it out of my head.

I think Fluke is Luke and he has DID. I can accept that Julian has been working with him for years, because Geary has been getting those long vacations from GH for years. For now, in my head, every time Luke has gone on a walkabout, he's really been indulging his inner Fluke.

 

There was an almost throwaway line during a scene I can't even remember. I think it was uttered at the Quartermaine mansion. Someone said something about how Sonny had screwed up everyone, even Luke. I wish I could remember more context. All I'm left with is the memory that it gave me an "Aha" moment, as to how and why if Fluke is Luke, that he has been so focused on ruining Sonny. 

 

I suppose raping Laura, or Lucky's response to learning Luke raped Laura, or Helena's abduction of Lucky/staging Lucky's death could serve as his DID trigger. I want this to happen and I want it to explain Luke cheating on Laura with Holly, to conceive Ethan. It can explain Luke's time in a brothel a few years ago (after he killed Jake). It can explain away every Luke storyline I've hated for the past decade or two.

Geary has some storyline say-so, right? I think for years he has hated that Luke was treated as a hero and he wants the character darker. Unfortunately, he's chewing too much scenery in his Fluke scenes. He needs to lose the histrionics and a bring back Luke's sardonic air. Also, the hair department needs to stop fluffing up his hair like he's the next Lila Quartermaine. Seriously, they're giving Geary "auntie" hair. I hate looking at it. Q-tip, indeed.

 

If it were just to wrap stuff up? I think a temporary recast would be accepted.

 

I don't want to see a recast of Robin (or of Lucky, which was also mentioned, earlier). I think because Kim and Jonathan originated these roles as children, and grew up before our eyes (and because both are good in their respective roles) that it's too hard for me to accept.

 

The next tim Kim is available, I wish they'd bring her on and give her a respectable write-off (divorce, moving to a nearby city, sharing custody, off-screen, of Emma, etc). The character destruction of Robin Scorpio needs to stop. Likewise, get Jonathan back for one day. Give him a scene with Elizabeth, where he takes the kids to his reasonable-distance home, for the weekend and starts acting like a father. Then he can parent off-screen, too. Jonathan can continue with his primetime career and we don't  have to think of these wonderful characters, who we've loved since childhood, as the worst parents in the world.

The only way I can watch this show now, is if I decide it's a soap version of film noir. Everyone is corrupt, even the good guys. There are no heroes. There are protagonists. Still, I'd like Lucky and Robin not to be the worst parents in the world.

 

[ulkis]

I love JJ but Lucky has been recast, and was reasonably successful with Greg Vaughan even with the writing pissing on him on a daily basis and him being a piss poor actor. If they get a half way decent actor, they should recast. His absence, especially during this Luke story, is a great big hole.

 

I think they tried getting JJ back for a day back in 2013 during the Lulu kidnapping and they couldn't even manage to schedule that, so I'd rather not wait on whether they might be able to catch JJ again.

 

What does "UCG" mean, above? When I was trying to figure it out from context, my brain hit upon Ubiquitous Crazy Geary and now I can't get it out of my head.

 

Unintentional Comedic Gold.

 

There was an almost throwaway line during a scene I can't even remember. I think it was uttered at the Quartermaine mansion. Someone said something about how Sonny had screwed up everyone, even Luke. I wish I could remember more context. All I'm left with is the memory that it gave me an "Aha" moment, as to how and why if Fluke is Luke, that he has been so focused on ruining Sonny.

 

 

It was week before last when Michael and Tracy were on the Haunted Star and Tracy was saying Sonny got Luke sucked into the Frank Smith drama, and Michael saying so that was just one more life Sonny ruined. But it didn't quite make sense, because Luke had already been running from Frank Smith for a decade before he even met Sonny.

[nilyank]

 

There was an almost throwaway line during a scene I can't even remember. I think it was uttered at the Quartermaine mansion. Someone said something about how Sonny had screwed up everyone, even Luke. I wish I could remember more context. All I'm left with is the memory that it gave me an "Aha" moment, as to how and why if Fluke is Luke, that he has been so focused on ruining Sonny.

 

That was Michael when he found out that Bill was killed by Frank Smith's men. He heard that Sonny also worked for Frank in that time period. Even though Frank wanted to kill Luke for more than a decade before Sonny met him and Bill looked exactly like Luke. To Michael, it was just another reason for him to bitch about Sonny even though it had no basis in logic.

[testardo]

"Sonny saved everyone on that boat" is one of those plot points that didn't actually happen* that will bug the shit out of me for the rest of time.

 

Sonny did not save everyone on that boat.  Maybe, maybe, he saved Michael but even that is doubtful because Michael was on the deck and could have flung that bomb overboard if Sonny hadn't gotten in his way, or since Sonny went overboard with the bomb and survived, who says Michael couldn't have gone overboard with the bomb and survived?  Anyway, the point being that due to Michael's actions, everyone on the boat was going to be fine before Sonny ever showed up.  Also, Sonny was the only one with advance knowledge that someone was going to happen but did he bother to let anyone know?  No. 

 

* See also "AJ pushed a pregnant Carly down the stairs".  Didn't happen but it gets referenced as if it was a fact and every time it does, I have a violent urge to hurt someone.  I can see it now that "Sonny saved those people" is going to elicit the same kind of response.

N

nothing on this show can piss me off more than that. YT has the clip, and I probably do also, If I had the stomach to watch the 20 or 25 tapes I copied. I never watched them sort of like what I have done since AJ was killed again. This time, I just deleted all of them. Thanks to FrankenRon , I now have my afternoons free. No soaps. Kill Faren Phelps could never ,never, ever get me to watch that garbage. Even if Robert is there. I am not surprised that scummy is the hero again.? they even destroyed luke, the cops are brain dead. Anna is she still gone ? I come here to see if I am right about keeping it off.I am.

[OnceSane]

I don't expect Michael to know the history correctly since he wasn't even a twinkle in his parents' eyes when that happened. Plus, any reason to hate on Sonny sounds good to him (and me!) right now.

[General Days]

Unintentional Comedic Gold.

 

 

 

Oh, so Ubiquitous, Crazy Geary was closer than I thought. Thank you.

 

It was week before last when Michael and Tracy were on the Haunted Star and Tracy was saying Sonny got Luke sucked into the Frank Smith drama, and Michael saying so that was just one more life Sonny ruined. But it didn't quite make sense, because Luke had already been running from Frank Smith for a decade before he even met Sonny.

 

 

And...

 

That was Michael when he found out that Bill was killed by Frank Smith's men. He heard that Sonny also worked for Frank in that time period. Even though Frank wanted to kill Luke for more than a decade before Sonny met him and Bill looked exactly like Luke. To Michael, it was just another reason for him to bitch about Sonny even though it had no basis in logic.

 

 

Ah, that's it. Thank you both. Somehow, I managed to forget it wasn't really Sonny's fault (probably because Sonny makes everything suck). 

[JaneDigby]

Honestly 180 out of 250 is not that much for the top character (and I don't mean that Sonny is "top" I just mean for whoever comes first in screentime), at least not compared to the Guza days.

 

Plus the episode counts are a little bit misleading, since someone could appear for 5 seconds in one episode and it counts as a day. Like peachmangosteen pointed out, Nathan/RP was #3 and really don't feel like he's been on that much, probably due to most of scenes consist of him standing off to the side and staring straight ahead.

 

Not that I don't think Sonny is too much as well because he is.

 

I had a full on, complete with sweats and cowering under the table flashback to 2002 when Sonny/Carly/Jason/Courtney were on every day. This is when Carly took Michael ice skating in March, btw. That still pisses me off. As a returned-newbie (unlapsed fan?) I have noticed that the ginormous cast has resulted in less all-Sonny-all-the-time. As a wise person up thread pointed out, even when Sonny isn't on half the cast is still talking about it but it's an improvement I will gladly embrace.

 

There must be hoards of fans out there who love Sonny/MB and just can't get enough of him. They're probably writing actual letters right now begging ABC to give Sonny a prime time spin off. That's my explanation for his death grip on this show. It's also my explanation for Victor Newman's death grip on Y&R. Enjoy them, Sonny/Victor fans, in all their appallingness, enjoy them! My loathing of them clearly doesn't account for much so who am I to deny their millions of fans, amirite? I content myself with yelling at the screen and basking in the warm glow of their more pathetic performances. 

 

MB, btw, seems less awful to me, lately. Back when he won an Emmy I literally burst out with "What the fuck," which was unfortunate as I was also on the phone talking to my mom at the time. When I caught clips of MB's scenes with Ava in the crypt I was surprised at how less-awful-than-usual he was. MB was intentional comedy gold in the car scenes with Julian, Ava and Franco. He still can't remember his lines and that still entertains me.

[Aurora2]

Looking back at this week on GH, my choice for the Razzie award for most annoying use of deus ex machina story-telling is the incomprehensible pardoning of Sonny for saving the Governor’s daughter in the non-explosion on the Haunted Star.  RM-freaking-E!!

 

And speaking of said non-event, kudos to the extras who did their best to create an atmosphere of fear and shock.  I guess those with speaking parts were too busy focusing on the next plot-point line or token acknowledgement to loved ones. 

 

Back to Sonny, I am weary of watching him and other bad guys (and gals- are you listening, Dr. O) being redeemed ad nauseum.  Enough!!

 

But (ulkis and some others – stop reading): 

Sometimes when I’m ready to board the barge, I find a lifeline in poignant little scenes with family and glimpses of real emotion.  And a couple of those moments happened on Friday in Sonny’s scenes with his sons, especially Dante.  Now, I expect that was Mo reacting to his good relationship with these younger men, but I’ll take what I can get.

Ok, you can all read again.

 

And, moving on, I’m not looking forward to seeing Sonny being given the figurative keys to the city for his contrived heroism.  Throwing that token moment to a few of Sonny’s scenes does NOT put me in his corner.  Far from it. 

 

I am choosing to forget Franco’s LSD trip, although I do expect to see some tripping and flashbacks.  I like Franco and Nina together, so I’m hoping for a relatively quick return to whatever degree of normalcy these two can achieve.

 

Luke, Fluke, Bill, back to Luke.  Here we go on the DID express and, most likely, a visit to Luke’s childhood in that house on Elm Street – a visit intended to explain how and why Luke became whoever he is today.  I know we’ll be hearing more about “Pat.”  I do hope that this part of the story moves at better pace and with better focus that has happened thus far.

 

There were highlights this week and the most notable one for me was watching Dom Zamprogna at work as Dante – well, really watching him for the past couple of weeks.  He can play subtle nuances and subtext so very well; and I can’t recall watching an actor create a love story the way DZ can, even in scenes when his love interest isn’t present.  I liked these recent scenes ever so much more for him that some of that wretched OTT melodrama with Stavros last fall.

 

Last point:  I think that Wednesday’s scenes at Dante’s bedside were the best Lante scenes since Lulu was recast.  For the FIRST time, I saw something in the current Lulu that I have been wanting to see for the almost two years she has been on GH.  For the first sustained time, I saw some of the quiet nuances, layers and emotional touches I’ve been missing so much in Lulu.  My reaction is twofold:  Hope that said style continues … and frustration that it has taken so long to happen

[ulkis]

There must be hoards of fans out there who love Sonny/MB and just can't get enough of him. They're probably writing actual letters right now begging ABC to give Sonny a prime time spin off. That's my explanation for his death grip on this show. It's also my explanation for Victor Newman's death grip on Y&R. Enjoy them, Sonny/Victor fans, in all their appallingness, enjoy them! My loathing of them clearly doesn't account for much so who am I to deny their millions of fans, amirite? I content myself with yelling at the screen and basking in the warm glow of their more pathetic performances. 

 

I said this in the Sonny thread but I saw someone elsewhere talking about how Ron must find Sonny an easy protagonist to use, because he can pretty much do most scummy acts and it won't be out of the line for him, and he still has fans, so that's why the continued focus on Sonny. I don't think has Sonny has so many fans anymore that they're scared of pissing them off, and certainly Ron and Frank don't have the same trying-to-be-a-primetime-writer-through-Sonny-and-Jason complex going on.

 

They really toned down his airtime in 2012, and jsbt has a theory, which I think is right probably, is that some higher up who was only familiar with the Guza/Frons model of GH, told them to add a bit more Sonny so the "old" GH was more recognizable.

 

But (ulkis and some others – stop reading):

Sometimes when I’m ready to board the barge, I find a lifeline in poignant little scenes with family and glimpses of real emotion.  And a couple of those moments happened on Friday in Sonny’s scenes with his sons

 

Ha, no worries. Would have been more poignant for me if Sonny was really going back to the Pentonville Playhouse Prison though! ;)

Edited February 8, 2015 by ulkis

[LegalParrot81]

 

It was week before last when Michael and Tracy were on the Haunted Star and Tracy was saying Sonny got Luke sucked into the Frank Smith drama, and Michael saying so that was just one more life Sonny ruined. But it didn't quite make sense, because Luke had already been running from Frank Smith for a decade before he even met Sonny.

 

See, it's stuff like this that makes me absolutely stabby with RC's writing.  He claims to be such a font of knowledge regarding GH history and then when he tries to show his brilliance, he exposes his complete lack of knowledge.  

 

 

I suppose raping Laura, or Lucky's response to learning Luke raped Laura, or Helena's abduction of Lucky/staging Lucky's death could serve as his DID trigger.

 

If this is DID, in my mind, the trigger would have been when they wheeled Laura out to the funny farm the first time in 2002.  

Edited February 8, 2015 by LegalParrot81

[Lillybee]

What does "UCG" mean, above? When I was trying to figure it out from context, my brain hit upon Ubiquitous Crazy Geary and now I can't get it out of my head.

I think Fluke is Luke and he has DID. I can accept that Julian has been working with him for years, because Geary has been getting those long vacations from GH for years. For now, in my head, every time Luke has gone on a walkabout, he's really been indulging his inner Fluke.

 

There was an almost throwaway line during a scene I can't even remember. I think it was uttered at the Quartermaine mansion. Someone said something about how Sonny had screwed up everyone, even Luke. I wish I could remember more context. All I'm left with is the memory that it gave me an "Aha" moment, as to how and why if Fluke is Luke, that he has been so focused on ruining Sonny. 

 

I suppose raping Laura, or Lucky's response to learning Luke raped Laura, or Helena's abduction of Lucky/staging Lucky's death could serve as his DID trigger. I want this to happen and I want it to explain Luke cheating on Laura with Holly, to conceive Ethan. It can explain Luke's time in a brothel a few years ago (after he killed Jake). It can explain away every Luke storyline I've hated for the past decade or two.

Geary has some storyline say-so, right? I think for years he has hated that Luke was treated as a hero and he wants the character darker. Unfortunately, he's chewing too much scenery in his Fluke scenes. He needs to lose the histrionics and a bring back Luke's sardonic air. Also, the hair department needs to stop fluffing up his hair like he's the next Lila Quartermaine. Seriously, they're giving Geary "auntie" hair. I hate looking at it. Q-tip, indeed.

 

I don't want to see a recast of Robin (or of Lucky, which was also mentioned, earlier). I think because Kim and Jonathan originated these roles as children, and grew up before our eyes (and because both are good in their respective roles) that it's too hard for me to accept.

 

The next tim Kim is available, I wish they'd bring her on and give her a respectable write-off (divorce, moving to a nearby city, sharing custody, off-screen, of Emma, etc). The character destruction of Robin Scorpio needs to stop. Likewise, get Jonathan back for one day. Give him a scene with Elizabeth, where he takes the kids to his reasonable-distance home, for the weekend and starts acting like a father. Then he can parent off-screen, too. Jonathan can continue with his primetime career and we don't  have to think of these wonderful characters, who we've loved since childhood, as the worst parents in the world.

The only way I can watch this show now, is if I decide it's a soap version of film noir. Everyone is corrupt, even the good guys. There are no heroes. There are protagonists. Still, I'd like Lucky and Robin not to be the worst parents in the world.

 

 

 

My theory is that Luke originally split during his childhood. I think it had something to do with Pat and that baseball bat. Luke was able to contain his inner Fluke most of the time but when he disappeared for those mystery trips it was Fluke. Fluke was able to track down Julian during that time and destroyed Bartlett Enterprises. I think that when Luke killed Jake, the split became permanent.

[HeatLifer]

The most annoying part about the "bad" off-screen parents is the kids aren't even on-screen! Poor Aidan has been with "Grams" since his inception. There's no reason why the kids' absences couldn't be explained by saying they're with the other parent.

Edited February 8, 2015 by HeatLifer

[OnceSane]

Oh, so Ubiquitous, Crazy Geary was closer than I thought. Thank you.

You can find the meanings of many acronyms/nicknames used on this board here.

[Chairperson Meow]

I wonder if the reason for the Sonny influx is why Billy Miller is Jason and not any other male character. ..... like Lucky, AJ, son of AJ, Dillion, etc.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I wonder if the reason for the Sonny influx is why Billy Miller is Jason and not any other male character. ..... like Lucky, AJ, son of AJ, Dillion, etc.

 

I don't necessarily think that's the case. They hired RoHo back and made him frigging Franco instead of any of the above. Given how much of a "get" Ron sees Howarth as being, he could have made him Jason way before this.

[Tiger]

I don't have a problem with Mo being on 180 episodes last year or Ryan being # 3 in total airdays.  

 

What I do have a problem with is The Staff being on 90 days despite not debuting  until June, and having more airdays than Jane mutha!fuckin Elliot, among others.  If she had been on more than Finola mutha!fuckin Hughes I would have lost my shit. 

Edited February 8, 2015 by Tiger

[tvgoddess]

Can I ask where you guys are finding the episode counts? Thanks.